Back to Green Gables
by Tierney Beckett
Summary: The story of Anne Shirley's granddaughter, Christine, and her friends during WWII. Chapter 39 up! Chris hears news about Leslie from an unexpected source and is very upset over it? Can the girls patch their relationship? R&R please.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I own no characters in the 'Anne' series. But a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
A/N: Taking a small break from my 'Pat of Silver Bush' fanfic to write this (mostly to annoy Ruby Gillis. BTW, she's a great L M Montgomery writer. Take a look at some of her stories.) Please read and review. I realize I'm messing with some sacred characters, but I'll do my best.  
  
I dedicate this story to Ruby Gillis, whose 'Juliet of New Moon' fanfic inspired me to write this one. I promise, Ruby, that I'm not trying to steal your idea. This story was in my head long ago. Yours just convinced me to finally write it down. (Or type it as the case may be). That being said, I hope you enjoy it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~August 4, 1939  
  
A slender slip of a girl raced through the fields to the Haunted Wood, her dark curls flying behind her as she went. From the main road, an oldish woman with a rather crooked nose spotted her and shook her head in disapproval. In her day, girls weren't so careless of their appearance. It seemed as if she would need to speak to Mrs. Ford about her youngest daughter again.  
  
Meanwhile, the girl in question was blissfully unaware that she was being watched and judged. If she had known, it is rather doubtful that she would have cared. Fifteen year old Christine Anne Ford was not known for worrying about what others thought of her. It was a personality trait which irritated her older sister, Leslie, to no end. Leslie was a very popular girl, especially with the boys, and the tomboyish ways of her younger sister often embarrassed her.  
  
Chris, as she was known to her family and friends, was at this moment heading for a meeting with her friends. Once a week, she and three other girls met in the Haunted Wood to discuss the week's events. None of the other children in Avonlea dared to enter the Haunted Wood, so Chris and her friends could have a merry talk without fear of being overheard.  
  
Despite getting a late start, Chris was the first one to arrive in their meeting place. She plopped down on the ground and leaned up against a huge tree, enjoying the silence of the woods.  
  
Chris did not have to wait long. She was soon joined by fourteen year old Emily Wright who, besides being her friend, was also her cousin. They talked animatedly until fifteen year old Lorelei Pike and her thirteen year old sister, Cecily, arrived. Chris looked at Lorelei admiringly. The two girls had been best friends since they were four and their strong bond was almost frightening. Avonlea folks often referred to them as the 'unlikely duo'. They were opposites in every way. Chris was tall with dark, ruddy curls and grey eyes. Her skin was tan from staying outside so much. She was rather loud for a girl and somewhat inclined to speak her mind regardless of the situation. Lorelei was very petite, with golden hair and dewey brown eyes. Her complexion, if you asked Chris, was flawless. She was quiet and mild-mannered, but she had a mischievous streak which rivaled that of Walter Ford, Chris's older brother, who was the town 'troublemaker'.  
  
Those who knew Lorelei but didn't know her well often thought her meek and sweet. Sweet she was, but meek was far from the truth. Her tiny body held a soul that could often be very stubborn. 'Just like her father,' Felicity Pike could often be heard saying. By the same token, Gus Pike was often heard saying just the opposite. 'Just like her mother,' he would say, receiving a burning look from his beloved wife.  
  
It was this stubbornness and mischievousness which bound the two girls so close together. They were much closer to each other than they were to their respective sisters. 'At least,' Chris thought glumly, 'Cecily and Lorelei are friends.' It was a bitter pill to Chris that she and Leslie had never really gotten along. For all Chris's bravado, she did have a sensitive soul. She knew exactly how her sister felt about her and, though she would have died before admitting that her sister's opinion mattered, it hurt her very much.  
  
But for now, she was content to sit in this close circle of friends, shut out from daylight by the closeness of the trees. Emily, who had become notorious for her ability to attract the opposite sex, began telling her friends about how Thomas Pye had carved their initials in a tree just two days ago.  
  
"He was really very sweet about the whole thing," she said. "And he brought me chocolates yesterday."  
  
"But you don't like chocolates, Emily," Cecily, the practical one, pointed out. She was rewarded with a sharp look from emerald eyes.  
  
"That is not the point, Cecily," Emily said slowly, as if she were speaking to a child. If Chris were forced to find a fault with Emily, it would be that she could be condescending at times. It was the only fault of Emily's that got on Chris's nerves without fail and so she continued what Cecily had begun.  
  
"If I HAD to pick a boy from Avonlea," Chris said, sticking her nose in the air on purpose, "I'm sure I could do better than a Pye."  
  
"Oh, for heaven's sake! Of course I could do better than a Pye!" Emily exclaimed. "Any of us could do better than that. Thomas is just practice. This way, I'll know how to handle my true love when he comes and sweeps me off my feet. I'll be married in two years, you know."  
  
Chris, mostly because of the pleading look she was receiving from Lorelei, managed to keep from laughing. But she did ask her cousin a question.  
  
"Isn't sixteen a bit young for getting married, Emily?"  
  
Cecily seemed to agree with this statement.  
  
"Yes, Emily. Don't you want to go to college?"  
  
"College? Not likely. You three are the brainy ones. No, I don't think college is in the cards for me. I was destined for matrimony and mother hood. Not that I mind. My husband will make plenty of money and we'll live in a huge house on top of a hill. And I'll have a dozen children running around everywhere."  
  
There just didn't seem to be anything to say to this. All the girls knew that Emily, unlike her mother, was not an avid pursuer of academic knowledge. She was much more content with keeping house. Folks in Avonlea said that she took after her paternal grandmother, Diana Wright nee Barry.  
  
"What are you going to do when you grow up, Chris?" Cecily asked. Chris frowned. It was a question that had bothered her for quite some time. She loved to learn but, at the same time, the idea of college frightened her a little. To leave Green Gables! To leave her family! Unthinkable! Yet, the prospect of being on her own for a little while was so exciting.  
  
"I know what she'll do," Emily piped up, who was famous for her wild predictions concerning the lives of her friends. "I predict that Chris will be married within a year."  
  
Even Chris had to laugh, joining in with Lorelei and Cecily.  
  
"Really? Who am I going to marry, Emily? Danny Sloane?"  
  
This brought more laughs. Danny Sloane was a tall, gangly youth who had a huge crush on Chris. She was always nice to him, but all the girls knew Chris could never be serious about a Sloane.  
  
"Of course not, silly. I'm talking about Will. And Lorelei will marry Walter. And Cecily will marry either my brother, Robert, or your brother Matthew."  
  
Cecily's eyes sparkled with merriment at the thought of their respective marriages. Lorelei and Chris suddenly grew very quiet, but for different reasons. Lorelei couldn't imagine being married to Walter Ford. Oh, he was handsome and dashing. That was true enough. But they had practically grown up together. It seemed impossible that she would marry the boy who, when he was nine and she was seven, had taken his mother's pinking shears to her golden tresses. Lorelei shrugged the thought off and even laughed a little at the ridiculous prediction.  
  
No one noticed the pensive look that passed across Chris's face. Surely Emily hadn't guessed her sweet secret. Emily was not that insightful. No one knew about her little romance, not even Lorelei. It had been difficult to keep it from Lorelei, of course, but the enchantment of a secret romance had proven to be even more powerful than their bond.  
  
It had been six months now. Six glorious months since that moonlit night when William Pike had told her he loved her. He had been walking her home from Orchard Slope and had stopped her as she turned to go in the gate of Green Gables. Chris smiled a little as she recalled how he had shuffled about on his feet. He had been attempting to speak, his sentence peppered with 'ums' and 'wells'. Then, just as she was about to lose patience with him, he had simply pulled her to him and kissed her. The kiss must have served to jump start his brain because, as soon as he released her, he had said, "I love you, Christine."  
  
It was the first time she could remember being called by her full name. She decided right away that she liked the sound of it coming from him. He made it sound as if she were the only girl in the world with that name, as if she were the only girl who could ever do justice to the name.  
  
Of course, it hadn't taken long after that for her to tell him the same. They met in secret, every other night, in Hester Gray's garden. If Chris's parents suspected something, they never let on. She was always able to secure their permission for a walk. Tonight, in fact, she was supposed to meet Will after supper.  
  
That thought served to snap Chris out of her reverie. Tonight was her night to help Mother with supper! She knew instinctively that she had stayed too long. Without a word, she stood and took off running through the woods, back towards Green Gables. The other three watched her go, but none of them seemed upset by her quick and silent departure. They were used to it. Lorelei summed it up perfectly.  
  
"She's always late for something," she stated and the other two nodded in agreement. Then they all went back to their conversation.  
  
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A/N: I know it's a slow start, but I'm doing my best. The next chapter is almost finished and should contain more background information. Oh, I almost forgot. About the Pikes. I loved the Story Girl books. I really did. But it's been forever and a day since I've read them and I remember much more about the 'Avonlea' TV series. Besides, I always had such a huge crush on Michael Mahonen (Gus Pike). I just couldn't write him out of the picture. Forgive me for not being a purist and please review. I live for reviews. 


	2. Walter Knows?

A/N: Okay, second chapter. Hope you enjoy this one!  
  
Anonymous 327: I'm so glad you reviewed my story and even more glad that you liked it! I think the reason for them being back in Avonlea will be revealed in this chapter, along with some other background information.  
  
Marzoog: Yay! You followed me here! I'm glad you like this story so far. It's a little frightening, treading on such sacred ground. At least I know I have my faithful friends to help me along.  
  
Ruby Gillis: Dear, dear girl. My most faithfulest of faithful reviewers. Here's the story behind the name of Christine. See, I've loved that name ever since I saw 'Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway and became a 'Phantom' fanatic. I always thought it unfair to give such a beautiful name to Anne's (supposed) rival. In all honesty, however, I had completely forgotten about Christine Stuart until after I posted the story on ff.net. Driving home from work (when I have most of my epiphanies) I suddenly realized my mistake and knew immediately that some one was going to call me on it. Congratulations! You're the first one! I won't change the name, but I'll try to reconcile it with Anne. As for Pat, I just hit a bump in the road. I'm hoping that, while I write this, the little wheels of my mind will start turning for Pat's next chapter.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Yes, Mrs. Spurgeon. I'll have a talk with Christine. I'm sure you won't see her running through the fields anymore. You're right, of course. She should know better. I'll see you in church on Sunday. Goodbye."  
  
Rilla Ford closed the door and heaved a sigh of relief. Ken looked at her and chuckled.  
  
"That spiteful old biddy," she said. Her husband was a bit taken aback by the namecalling.  
  
"Now, Rilla, why don't you calm down?"  
  
"Oh, I know I shouldn't call people names. It is very childish of me. But how dare she come over here and criticize my children! Chris is only fifteen years old. Why shouldn't she run through the fields? I don't care if she dances naked in the moonlight!"  
  
"Yes, you do."  
  
"Well, yes, I suppose I do. But I can't make Chris be anything but herself. Maybe Josie Spurgeon wants Chris to be like her daughter, Mabel. Married at the age of sixteen and a mother of five by the time she's twenty- three. And let's not forget the other four that came along after that."  
  
"Rilla, now you're being spiteful. You know Mabel Blewett is one of the nicest women in Avonlea."  
  
"Of course I do. I never thought a descendant of Josie Pye could be so nice. But would you want Chris to be like that? Mabel used to be full of life until she married that Andy Blewett. That shiftless good for nothing ruined her life. All because Josie Spurgeon didn't want her daughter to be an old maid like she almost was. Like she would have been if she hadn't married Moody Spurgeon after his first wife died."  
  
"Rilla, what's wrong with you? I've never heard you be so critical."  
  
"Oh, I don't know. I've been feeling so strange lately. Maybe it's all this business about Europe. Do you really think there will be war, Ken?"  
  
Ken was torn between wanting to protect his wife and telling her his true opinion. All the news pointed to the possibility of war in Europe again. Ken absentmindedly fingered the scar on his cheek as his thoughts drifted to Walter and Matthew, his sons. Matthew was only thirteen. Surely the war, if there was a war, would be over before Matthew was old enough to go. But Walter was an entirely different matter. He would be eighteen next year and Ken knew that, if war broke out, Walter would be one of the first boys in Avonlea to volunteer.  
  
Rilla watched her husband carefully. When she saw him running his finger along that scar, she knew the answer. She also knew he was going to lie to her. Well, if that was the way he wanted it, that's the way it would be. She could pretend to believe him. She wanted to believe what he was about to say. It made her life much easier.  
  
"I think this world has had enough of wars, my Rilla," he finally said. There, now. That wasn't a lie at all. Ken was of the opinion that this world had had enough of wars. Rilla knew this wasn't a direct answer, but she accepted it without question and changed the subject back to Mrs. Spurgeon's wagging tongue. A conversation about Josie Spurgeon was, after all, preferable to a conversation about war.  
  
"I suppose this is what comes of living in a small town," Rilla sighed. "You can't sneeze around here without some gossip spreading the word that you have double pneumonia and will most likely be dead by the end of the week."  
  
She started to make her way into the kitchen and prepare supper. Ken followed her.  
  
"Would you rather we still live in Toronto?" Ken questioned, knowing the answer already, but wanting to snap his wife out of her present mood. Rilla's response was emphatic.  
  
"No, no, no. It was nice enough for the first year, but, when all is said and done, I prefer a small town to raise children in. I'm glad that we came to Avonlea, Ken. And it's so wonderful to live in the house where my own mother was a girl. You know, we've lived here for almost eleven years and I love Green Gables more than I did when we first got here. And we're practically next door to Di and Jack and their children."  
  
"You sound as if you're trying to sell me on the idea all over again, Rilla. You forget that the idea to move here and start a newspaper was mine from the beginning."  
  
Rilla grinned. Ken may have had the idea, but Rilla had convinced him to go through with it. Now, over ten years later, Ken was the owner and editor of the 'Avonlea Chronicle'. Under his guidance, the paper had become a huge success. He had also written two novels since they moved to Avonlea and both were considered fine works. All in all, the Fords had done very well for themselves.  
  
The one fly in Rilla's ointment was the fact that she wasn't close to the rest of her family. Mother, Father, Jem, and Faith were still in the Glen. Jerry and Nan had settled in Shrewsbury. And Shirley had gone off with his wife, Aurelie, to Vancouver of all places! Clear across Canada! If Rilla didn't have Di so close, she might have gone mad. Really, it was dreadful the way people just scattered to the four corners of the earth these days. Rilla hated to think of her own children leaving some day.  
  
"I wonder where Chis is?" Ken asked suddenly. "Isn't it her turn to help with the supper?"  
  
Before Rilla could reply, the sound of the front door slamming echoed through the house. Rilla and Ken exchanged knowing glances. That sound could mean only one thing. Their youngest daughter was home.  
  
Chris rushed into the kitchen, her face flushed from running. Rilla looked at her with mildly admonishing hazel eyes as Chris began to wash.  
  
"I'm sorry, mother. I forgot tonight was my night to help with the supper. I promise I'll be home early every night for the rest of my life."  
  
Rilla managed to bite back a smile at her daughter's theatrical promise. She knew how likely it was that such a promise would be kept. A small lecture was in order and Rilla proceeded to give it.  
  
"You would do well, Christine, to not let such things slip your memory so often. Wasn't it just last week that you 'forgot' to get the things I asked you to pick up at the store?"  
  
"And the week before that you 'forgot' to deliver your route of papers," put in her father.  
  
"I'm sorry," Chris said again. Her parents merely smiled in reply and Chris knew she was forgiven.  
  
"Here, Chris. Will you start on the pie?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am," came the meek reply. Chris immediately went to work under Rilla's watchful eye. Unlike Leslie, who was a born cook, Chris struggled with the task and had to be watched closely. Once, she had put salt in a pie instead of sugar. There had been no dessert that night.  
  
No more was said about Chris being late. She had been mildly rebuked and, in Rilla's opinion, that was enough for such a minor offense. Why drag it out? As Chris and Rilla prepared supper, Ken sat at the kitchen table and talked to them. Once in a while, he helped Rilla with a chore. In fact, he had just started peeling potatoes when Walter came in the kitchen door. Matthew followed close behind. They both sat down at the table and were promptly handed knives of their own. They looked at their mother questioningly.  
  
"It won't kill you to help," she said, not unkindly. Matthew, the serious one, immediately began peeling. Walter grinned and winked at his mother before picking up a potato and lazily peeling off the strip in one long brown curl. Had she not been concentrating on the pie so hard, Chris would've stopped and watched her older brother. She never could understand how he did that.  
  
"Where's Leslie?" asked Father. Walter grimaced. His twin sister was not a favorite subject of his.  
  
"She's over at the Pike's, talking to Sara," Matthew replied, referring to Gus and Felicity's nineteen year old daughter. Walter snorted contemptuously.  
  
"A likely story. She's only over there to try and get Will Pike's attention."  
  
"Walter, what a thing to say about your sister!" Mother admonished, despite the fact that she knew it to be true. Leslie was a little too boy crazy for her liking.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mother, but it's true. Will is like some sort of challenge to her. He doesn't pay any attention to her except to be polite. I think it drives her crazy. He's the only boy in Avonlea who isn't at her beck and call. Well, besides me."  
  
"Don't you think it's possible that she might really be interested in Will?" asked Mother. Chris, whose ears had perked up at the mention of Will's name, waited breathlessly for Walter's answer. Despite the fact that he and his twin didn't get along, no one knew Leslie better than Walter did. What if Leslie really did like Will? Would she be able to get his attention someday?  
  
"No, Mother, I don't think Leslie is really interested in Will in the slightest. Even if she were, it wouldn't be any use. Will told me the other day that he's been seeing a girl for some time and it seems they have quite a romance going."  
  
"Really? That's strange. Felicity didn't mention anything about it to me."  
  
"That's because she doesn't know. No body knows except me. He wouldn't even tell me the girl's name. But he said that, since I was his best friend, he just wanted to let me know. I shouldn't have said anything about it. It's supposed to be a secret."  
  
"Don't worry, Walter. It won't leave this house," Father assured him. Mother nodded in agreement, then looked at her other two children.  
  
"I won't tell anyone," Matthew said with a grave voice.  
  
"You're secret's safe with me, Walter," Chris tried to be serious, but couldn't keep the sparkle out of her eyes. She turned back to the pie she was concocting, totally oblivious to the knowing glances her brother kept giving her.  
  
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A/N: Okay, all for now. I hope to have another chapter soon. Please review. I love reviews. 


	3. Chris and Will

A/N: I'm back! Still trying to live up to expectations. The beginning of this story is going a little slow, but I promise more suspense and intrigue with the later chapters.  
  
Ruby: I do wish I could write about Bev, but I couldn't figure out how to work him in. Maybe something will come to me. If you haven't seen the 'Road to Avonlea' series, you should try to find it on video or dvd somewhere. It was really a great show. I taped the finale. 'sniff-sniff'. Anyway, you're right. Chris is a bit of a spitfire. You will notice, however, that Will is going to call her Christine. I promise not to make this too weird.  
  
Anonymous 327: You are right on two counts. Rilla does have four children (for now) and I decided that Di should marry Jack Wright. After all, Anne and Diana were 'bosom friends'. Their children should marry one another. I've always thought that Di would marry Jack, though I don't know why. None of LMM's books point to it. Oh, well. That's the beauty of fanfic writing!  
  
Miri: Hello! It flatters me that you like my stories so well. I must admit I've painted myself into a corner on this 'Christine' subject. As for Rilla's son, well, I just had to name him Walter. I always figured Rilla would be the first of Anne's children to get married so she would have her children first, too. I hope to write more on my 'Pat' fic soon.  
  
Marzoog: It is a bit fun treading on sacred ground. I have to watch myself a little more carefully. This chapter will give you more insight into the Will/Chris relationship. Hope you enjoy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chris was grateful when dinner was over. For some reason, Mother had become terribly snappish once dinner began. She had even snapped at Father. Mother never snapped at Father. At least, not that Chris could recall. While Leslie and Matthew washed the dishes, Chris had tentatively asked her mother if she could go for a walk. Expecting to get a resounding 'no', Chris had been dumbfounded when Mother smiled at her sweetly and said, 'Of course'. Father had given Mother a strange glance, too. Such a sudden change of moods. It wasn't like Rilla Ford at all.  
  
Once she was on her way to Hester Gray's garden, though, Chris was able to put these troublesome thoughts aside. She would be with Will soon. Knowing that she had actually left early for a change, Chris walked leisurely in the moonlight, drinking in her surroundings. She had lived in Avonlea nearly all her life, yet she never tired of it's beauty. Grandmother had told her once that she felt the same way about Avonlea.  
  
That brought another thing to Chris's mind. Grandmother and Grandfather would be coming for a visit next week. They would be staying at Green Gables! It seemed ages since Chris had seen them. In reality, Chris, her brothers, her sister, and her cousins had stayed at Ingleside for two weeks in June. Chris always thought it great fun to visit Ingleside. She adored her Uncle Jem and Aunt Faith and got along well enough with their three children.  
  
Still, the best part about a visit to Ingleside was that she got to come home to Green Gables again! Chris couldn't understand her Uncle Shirley, going so far away from his home and family. Then again, she had heard her mother say that very few people understood Uncle Shirley and that was part of what made Aunt Aurelie so special. Chris liked her Aunt Aurelie. She was so mysterious. Uncle Shirley had met her during the Great War while he was in France. After he came back, he started writing to her and then, one year later, went back overseas to ask her to marry him. Chris thought it very romantic for a man to cross an ocean just to propose. How could any girl refuse that? Aunt Aurelie was so jolly and sweet. Mother said she was the perfect match for serious and sensitive Uncle Shirley. Chris wholeheartedly agreed.  
  
She started thinking about the other members of her family. Uncle Jerry and Aunt Nan were such fun to be with. There was nothing serious about Uncle Jerry except his sermons. Chris was in awe of his sermons. And Aunt Nan was so pretty and funny. Their children were jolly playmates and their oldest daughter, Cordelia, was a great friend to Chris. If only they lived closer.  
  
Despite the fact that Chris had any number of friends her age, both within her family and outside her family, she longed desperately to be friends with her sister. Once upon a time, when they were younger, they had been friends. But then Leslie had begun to pay attention to boys more than she did Chris. She was much more interested in hairdos and the latest fashions than she was in having adventures with her siblings. Unable to understand her sister's sudden transformation (and very sudden it was), Chris had turned to Walter, whom she had always been close to. Now, she was closer to her older brother than she had ever been to Leslie. Chris sighed a little as she thought of the kinship that had been lost between her and her sister.  
  
"I hope that sad face isn't on my account," came a voice from the shadow of the trees. Chris knew it immediately.  
  
"Will! How did you get here so quickly? I left early just so I wouldn't be late."  
  
"You aren't late. We're both early. I got away from my house as soon as I could. Too much wedding nonsense for me."  
  
"Don't you like discussing weddings?" she asked innocently, smiling at him sweetly. This was a topic they both joked about. They were much too young to even think about marriage, but it was fun to pretend.  
  
"It depends on who the bride and groom are," he replied. Through the darkness, she saw him wink and fought the blush she felt creeping across her face. He took her hand in his and led her the rest of the way to Hester Gray's garden as they talked.  
  
"When is Sara getting married, anyway? Lorelei and Cecily never tell me anything about the wedding."  
  
"That's probably because they're as tired of it as I am. Even Mother's getting a little weary of the subject and Father lost his enthusiasm long ago, even before I did. But it's all Sara ever talks about these days. The wedding will be in one month. I still don't like it."  
  
"You mean you don't like him."  
  
Will smiled. Chris was very good at reading his thoughts. She had always been able to do that, even when they were small children.  
  
"Yes, that's what I mean. He's entirely too old for her. Not to mention the fact that she's too young to be married."  
  
"She's just a year younger than your mother was when she married your father. Come to think of it, Mother married Father when she was just twenty."  
  
"I'm not talking about age in years. I'm talking about maturity, of which Sara has none. She's sweet and kind and funny, but she has no common sense. None at all. Now, I ask you, how is a girl with no common sense going to be able to run a household?"  
  
Chris had to admit she didn't have an answer for that. She also knew that Sara's lack of common sense, which was legendary, would not be a problem. Sara was marrying a very wealthy man who, as anyone with eyes could see, practically worshipped the ground she walked on. No, this wasn't what was really bothering Will.  
  
"William Alec Pike, you're running out of excuses. Now, we both now that the real reason you don't want her to marry Douglas Brighton is because he lives so far away."  
  
Will said nothing in reply. By now, they had reached the garden. Chris sat down on a little stone bench and watched as Will walked aimlessly back and forth. It was something he always did when he was thinking particulary hard about something. The moonlight poured through the tops of the trees, illuminating the area. Chris passed the time by wondering what sort of conversations these trees had heard over the years. She was quite caught up in her flight of fancy and jumped a little when Will finally spoke.  
  
"Alright, it's true. I really have nothing against Douglas. I suppose he's a good enough fellow, in his own way, and he does love Sara. He's only twenty-eight, after all, and I guess that's not too old. But he lives in London, Christine! I mean, he goes to Montreal to visit a cousin of his and, as fate would have it, my dear sister is there visiting her namesake. They meet and he falls head over heels in love with her and she with him. Then, he decides to marry her and drag her clear across the Atlantic!"  
  
"I hardly think that Sara is being 'dragged' anywhere, Will. I understand that you'll miss her, but you can always write and maybe even visit her someday."  
  
"Oh, no. Not me. I'm never leaving Canada. I don't understand why people feel they have to wander the Earth."  
  
Chris was silent. Although she would never want to leave the Island for good, she often longed to travel and see the wonders of the world. It was one of the few things she and Will did not agree on. She could see he was getting agitated, so she stood and walked over to him, placing a slender hand on his arm. Will looked at her questioningly.  
  
"It's such a lovely night, Will. Why don't you come sit with me on the bench? We can find more pleasant things to talk about."  
  
Will complied and they sat in silence for a while, neither of them wanting to break the spell of the evening. Will looked at Chris out of the corner of his eye several times. She never ceased to amaze him. Mature beyond her years, she often put things in perspective for him. He wondered again how it was that a fifteen year old girl could know so much. His thoughts about her maturity and intelligence soon gave way as he saw how the moonlight illuminated her skin, giving her a rather incandescent glow. He was overtaken by the urge to kiss her again. He hadn't kissed her since that first night he told her he loved her.  
  
Chris suddenly spoke up, completely unaware of the gaze she was receiving, and it served to snap Will out of his reverie.  
  
"I heard Leslie was over at your house today," she said quietly. Will rolled his eyes. Now, why did she have to go and spoil a perfectly lovely evening by bringing that subject up?  
  
"I thought we were going to talk of pleasant things," he replied. Chris turned a rather chastising pair of grey eyes towards him and he was immediately repentant.  
  
"I'm sorry. I know she's your sister. She just drives me crazy sometimes. Yes, she was over at my house today. Supposedly, she was talking to Sara about the wedding, but she kept trying to drag me into the conversation. Father took pity on me and asked me to help him with something out in the barn. He knew she wouldn't follow me in there. Why does she always follow me around, Chris? It's rather annoying."  
  
Chris couldn't help but be a little bit happy over the fact that Will viewed Leslie's attention as irritating and didn't have the slightest idea as to why she dangled around him so much. Still, he should be told. Chris was never one to mince words, so she jumped in with both feet.  
  
"She wants you to pay attention to her, Will. Leslie's just like that."  
  
"What does she need my attention for? She's got the attention of every unmarried male over fifteen around here. Why should I be so special?"  
  
"That's just it, Will. Every single male, except for you, pays attention to her. Walter said it posed a challenge to her."  
  
"Oh, so it's a challenge she wants, is it? Maybe I should let Joseph know that."  
  
The moment the words left his mouth, Will wished he could take them back. He had just betrayed a confidence. Of course, Chris would never tell anyone, but that wasn't the point. One look at Chris's face made him realize that she knew who he was talking about.  
  
"Oh, Will. You don't mean to tell me that Joseph Keith is in love with my sister! Poor Joseph! She'll never give him a second thought."  
  
This was true enough. Joseph Keith was the only one of Davy Keith's children left in Avonlea. Davy had actually left twelve years ago with his wife and five children. They had moved to California, where Davy's sister Dora was living with her husband. This was how Ken and Rilla Ford had come into possession of Green Gables. Davy had sold it to them.  
  
Five years ago, though, eighteen year old Joseph had returned to Avonlea. He had stayed at Green Gables for a little while until he could build his own place down the road. Since Ken was not a farmer, he and Rilla decided to give the farmland and pasture of Green Gables back to Joseph. Now twenty-three, Joseph was a very handsome fellow, but decidedly shy around women. No one knew where he got it from. Obviously he took after his Aunt Dora more than he did his father.  
  
It broke Chris's heart to know that Joseph was in love with Leslie. She adored Joseph and was sure he would take good care of her sister. Leslie would never want for anything. But, despite his handsome looks, she knew Leslie wouldn't even consider Joseph. Leslie, it seemed, was always attracted to danger. And there was nothing dangerous about Joseph Keith. He was sweet, sensitive, and shy. No one could accuse him of being dangerous or daring.  
  
"Promise you won't say anything, Chris. I shouldn't have opened my mouth. I'm sure Joseph wishes he had never told me. He sort of let it slip himself one night."  
  
"Of course I won't tell anyone. Cross my heart and hope to die. I'm no tattle."  
  
Will laughed in spite of himself. Chris was a constant source of mystery and amusement to him. Sometimes, she seemed wise beyond her years. Other times, like right now, he was reminded of just how young she really was. Of course, he was only sixteen himself, but fifteen, sometimes, seemed to be so much younger than sixteen . Besides, he would be seventeen by December.  
  
They stopped talking and were content to sit in companionable silence, drinking in the moonlight. Chris wove her fingers in between Will's and laid her head on his shoulder. They remained that way until she reluctantly brought up the subject of time. Making their way back, they stopped just before they got to the road. Will brought Chris's hand to his lips, his customary farewell, and then disappeared in the direction of his home. Chris waited a few moments, then made her own way to the road. On the way to their respective destinations, both dreamed of what the future might bring, but neither made room for the reality that was brewing across the Atlantic.  
  
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A/N: Yay! Chapter finished! Incidentally, for those who didn't know, I have updated my Pat story. You can now find out why she fainted. Oh, and one more thing. I made a slight change to Chapter 1 of this story. Whoever figures out what the change is first gets a special guest appearance in one of my LMM fics!  
  
Thanks for your patience concerning my disk. Irritating little gadgets sometimes, aren't they? Please review this chapter. I love feedback. 


	4. A Sisterly Chat

A/N: Back again for more. I hope you like this chapter. I've written and deleted, written and deleted, trying to come up with the way I want it to go. Hopefully, the end result will be worth it.  
  
Faerie 5: I am glad that you like my story. I hope I can live up to your expectations.  
  
Ruby: Oh, that must have been so irritating to lose all your info. Happy to hear that you wrote it again, though. National novel writing month, you say? That sounds interesting. Thank you for your prayer. As you can see, St. Anthony obviously came through.  
  
Gufa: I'm seriously thinking about going back through my story and changing Chris's name. I'm second guessing myself here, of course. Are there any objections on that course of action from my readers? No body really seems to like her name and I'm starting to feel that way myself. I've always thought Christina was a lovely name, too, Gufa. I hope you like this story at least as much as you like Pat. Thanks for being optimistic about it.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: Thanks. I really like that last sentence, too. That last sentence was one of those times when, after I was done typing it, I just felt wonderful. I love that feeling. It makes all the spells of writer's block worthwhile. Maybe I'll get lucky and have a couple of more sentences like that in this chapter.  
  
Anonymous327: I always liked Davy, too. Joseph doesn't really take after Davy, but I know you'll like him anyway. I have plans for Joseph.  
  
Marzoog: Will and Chris are sweet together. But theirs isn't the only romance that will unfold. Hold on tight, because I'm about to do some serious matchmaking.  
  
To any reviewers I may have missed: Thank you so much for all your encouragement (especially about the lost disk). It's a little confusing right now trying to sort out whose review I have addressed and whose I haven't, but I'm hoping that, by the next chapter, I'll be able to address everyone individually again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~September 9, 1939  
  
Sara Pike's wedding day dawned bright and clear, bringing much needed recreation to the residents of Avonlea. Nearly a week had gone by since England had declared war on Germany. People were saying it was only a matter of time before Canada joined in as well. A cloud had been hanging over the little town since that dark day.  
  
But the talk of impending war was put aside that day and Chris was eternally grateful for that. She was tired of hearing about the war, tired of praying that it would be over before any of her family or friends could join up. Walter had already begun talking about it, but Grandfather had quickly put a stop to it, pointing out that he shouldn't be upsetting his mother in her condition.  
  
The announcement had been made two weeks ago that Matthew Ford was not going to be the baby of the family much longer. All the children had dealt with it in their own way. Matthew had been methodical about it, Walter and Chris had both been happy, though to Walter it didn't seem to matter as much, and Leslie, well, Leslie was rather ambiguous about the whole thing  
  
Chris, with all the wisdom of her years, supposed that, given her mother's age, the town gossips would soon be buzzing about the latest addition to the Ford family. She thought it was ridiculous, really. Mother was only thirty-eight. She was hardly ancient.  
  
Another brother or sister was an interesting subject to think upon and so Chris focused on it instead of the events across the Atlantic. After all, it wasn't as if Germany was attacking Canada. Why should they join the fight? She felt rather unpatriotic for thinking such things, but her love for her family and friends won out over her love of country.  
  
Chris was already dressed, anxious to get to the church and get through the ceremony. Mother had said she could stay the night with Lorelei and she was looking forward to that evening more than she was to the wedding. For now, though, she had to wait on everyone else. She sat on the edge of her bed, being careful not to wrinkle her new green dress, and watched Leslie get ready. Despite their differences, Chris took pleasure in watching her sister dress for a special event. She always looked so beautiful.  
  
Leslie did look lovely that morning, in her bridesmaid's dress of pale blue. The color of the dress made her eyes look even bluer, if such a thing was possible. Her night-black hair, which she usually combed back, framed her oval face in soft curls, giving her a very innocent look. Chris wished once again that she were beautiful like Leslie. She didn't know that Will was not the only boy who was beginning to see how lovely she truly was. Chris possessed a mystery that Leslie did not and never could, and the Avonlea boys were starting to wonder if they could solve that mystery.  
  
But Chris was unaware of this fact and wouldn't have really cared if she had been aware of it. She knew that she was not destined to have many romances. Though she was only fifteen, it seemed perfectly obvious to her that her destiny lay with William Pike. Why should she have any other romance?  
  
"Chris, will you help me with this necklace?" Leslie asked, breaking Chris's admiring stare. Chris quickly complied. It was very rare that Leslie spoke to her as an equal these days. She persisted in thinking that Chris was still a child and should be treated as such.  
  
"You look beautiful, Leslie," Chris said as she stepped away from her sister. Leslie turned abruptly and enveloped an astonished Chris in a warm hug. After a moment, she finally released her and stepped back.  
  
"You look very lovely, too, Chris," Leslie replied, stunning Chris even further. When was the last time Leslie had paid her a compliment? She stuttered and stammered out a thank you, causing Leslie to frown.  
  
"Does my compliment surprise you that much? I suppose you don't expect it from me. I've been a horrid sister to you."  
  
By now, Chris had recovered her wits and instantly flew to her sister's defense.  
  
"Oh no, Leslie. You haven't been horrid at all. You simply grew up a little faster than I did. I like having you for a sister."  
  
Leslie smiled slightly.  
  
"You don't lie convincingly, Chris. But that's a good thing. I have been horrid to you. I've been horrid to everyone these past few years. How am I ever going to make up for it?"  
  
She sat in the window seat and stared out at the sky. Chris bit her lip, trying desperately to find an answer to her sister's question. Leslie had even managed to alienate Walter, who had once been her best friend and constant companion. How was she going to regain that friendship? Chris went over and sat beside her.  
  
"What brings this on, Leslie? Why are you thinking about it now?"  
  
"I've been thinking about it more and more these past couple of weeks. Oh, I know I've been mopey and nearly impossible to live with. It's a wonder you haven't screamed or yelled at me. I just feel so lonely. The closer Sara's wedding got, the more I started thinking that she was the only true friend I had. And now she's moving to England! I felt dreadfully sorry for myself. What would I do without my friend? That's when I realized that Sara was my only true friend because she was the only one I was truly friendly to. Chris, I haven't even been very friendly towards Mother and Father. What kind of daughter fakes a friendship with her parents? And I've treated you and Walter shabbily, even poor Matthew, when none of you have ever been anything but sweet to me. Am I really a horrible person, Chris?"  
  
Chris was surprised and, it must be admitted, somewhat delighted over Leslie's outburst. If Leslie saw how she had been, then maybe things would start to change and they could be true sisters again. Right now, though, reassurance was required.  
  
"Leslie, you are not a horrible person. You've just made some bad decisions, that's all. We're a family, Leslie, and we all love you."  
  
"Well, then, you would be the only ones. No one outside of this family loves me except Sara. And it's all my fault that it's that way."  
  
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say. Why, you've got over a dozen chums who dress like you and do their hair like you. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, you know. Not to mention that half the male population of Avonlea is dying of love for you."  
  
"Now you're being ridiculous, Chris. As if I believe any of their 'declarations of love'. Most of them are made in the moonlight, anyway, and you know it's nearly impossible to believe things that are said in the moonlight."  
  
"No, I don't know that," Chris replied, rather dreamily. The moon had been shining that night Will had told her he loved her. She had no trouble at all believing that. Leslie looked at Chris questioningly. What was her little sister thinking about that would make her eyes shine in such a way? But Chris quickly snapped herself out of her little daydream and finished the conversation.  
  
"I've had enough of your foolishness and self-pity, Leslie Ford. A lot of people care for you very much. Now that you realize you've been pushing them away, maybe you'll start to see just how much they love you. But first things first. We have a wedding to attend and you're supposed to be at the church in five minutes. Listen to that. Father's down there honking the horn already. Now, come on. Let's get going."  
  
As they went down the stairs, the impatient horn growing louder with every step they took, Leslie cast an amused glance towards Chris.  
  
"Since when did you become so wise, little sister? You sound like Grandmother."  
  
Chris grinned as she wrapped a lace shawl around her shoulders.  
  
"That's the nicest compliment anyone has ever paid me, Leslie."  
  
The girls laughed and another horn blast sent them flying out the front door of Green Gables.  
  
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A/N: Okay, that's all for this chapter. I wanted to get a little sisterly time in. Leslie has to start changing a little bit for the future of my story. Please review 


	5. A Young Woman?

Disclaimer Time!: It's been awhile, so here we go. I don't own any of the characters in the Anne series or any other L. M. Montgomery book. But a girl can dream, can't she.  
  
A/N: Two chapters at a time?! Holy Lake of Shining Waters Batman! Whoa. Where did that come from? Sorry, I must have been in a silly mood. I'll try to calm down and write a sensible chapter.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The wedding went off beautifully, much to the satisfaction and relief of Felicity Pike. Since it hadn't rained, the reception was held at the home of Sara's grandparents in the old King orchard. There was music and dancing. Chris loved to dance and was very good at it. Her first dance was with Walter, who was then swept away by Leslie. Chris saw them later, laughing and talking, as she danced with Danny Sloane. Why, oh why did these boys with monstrous feet insist on dancing with poor defenseless girls?  
  
Chris was rather surprised to find herself on the receiving end of many requests for a dance. Most of them were good friends of hers and she didn't mind dancing with them at all, though she wished desperately that she could dance every dance with Will. But they had discussed that and had decided that they would only dance one dance, the last dance, together.  
  
She was having fun, but was rather glad when Joseph Keith claimed her from Tom Gillis. Tom was a nice enough boy, but he had no rhythm at all and he was holding Chris just a little too close for her liking. She had seen Will several times out of the corner of her eye and he had been getting angry. Chris was relieved that Joseph had stepped in. Will's temper was legendary.  
  
"You're turning into quite the social butterfly," Joseph said, smiling down at Chris. Chris nearly had to look all the way up to meet his gaze. Joseph was very tall, nearly six and a half feet, and Chris, at five feet eight inches, felt very tiny next to him.  
  
"I really don't know what's going on with them today," she replied, smiling back at him. "They've looked at me as a chum all this time and, today, all of a sudden, it's as if they've finally realized I am a girl."  
  
Joseph shook his head and grinned and Chris couldn't help but admire the deep dimples in his cheeks. Oh, if only Leslie could love Joseph!  
  
"No, my dear Christine, I believe they've finally realized you're a young woman."  
  
Chris felt her cheeks grow a little hot. Joseph had never called her Christine before. Was what he saying true? Maybe she was growing up.  
  
"I-Is that what I am?" she stammered, more than a little confused. Joseph grinned again. It was very rare that he had the opportunity to talk to Chris like this. She was one of the few girls around who didn't make him nervous to the point of distraction.  
  
"Yes, that's what you are. And a very lovely young woman at that, if I may say so."  
  
The warmth Chris had felt in her cheeks earlier intensified and she lowered her head a little. No man outside her family except for Will had ever called her lovely. Joseph, looking down at her, thought about it for a moment before bending down slightly and whispering in her ear.  
  
"I might sweep you off your feet myself if Will hadn't already beaten me to it."  
  
Chris's head snapped up and Joseph couldn't resist a quiet laugh.  
  
"Oh, Chris, you'd be surprised how much a person can learn if they listen and observe rather than chatter all the time. Now, don't get angry. Will never told me anything. I've known he had a 'case' on someone for quite some time. I didn't know who it was, though, until I saw his face when you were dancing with Tom. That's why I stepped in when I did. That chap was a little too forward for my liking anyway. And, Chris, just a word of advice for you, okay? If you are going to conduct secret romances, it's best not to look so dreamy eyed every time you see your beloved. People will start to suspect things."  
  
Chris started to quiver a little in Joseph's arms and, for one horrible moment, he thought she was crying. He started to apologize, but Chris finally raised her face to his and he was relieved to see that she was simply trying to suppress her laughter. As the music ended, she stood on tip toe and, with surprising strength, brought his head down enough to give him a kiss on the cheek. Two red spots flamed up on Joseph's face immediately, but he smiled at her.  
  
"Thanks for the advice," she said, just before Lorelei grabbed her hand and raced off through the crowd of people. Joseph watched them as they ran, shaking his head in amusement. Before long, he was joined by Will.  
  
"What was all that about, Joseph?" Will inquired. Joseph knew he was talking about the kiss on the cheek.  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied. He walked off, leaving a very confused Will behind.  
  
*******************************************  
  
The girls didn't stop running until they were well away from the party. Chris, for the first time in her life, was worried about keeping her dress clean, and so they leaned up against the side of the King barn. Once Lorelei had caught her breath, she began to drill Chris.  
  
"Christine Ford! You kissed Joseph Keith!"  
  
"Lorelei, really. I would hardly call that a kiss. Joseph is like one of my brothers. You know that."  
  
"I know, but that doesn't change the fact that he's the handsomest man in Avonlea. And my best friend kissed him! I wish you could've seen Myra Blewett's face when you did! She turned as green as that dress you have on. By the way, Chris, you really do look nice in that color."  
  
"Thank you, but what was that about Myra Blewett? I thought she was going with Lyle Sloane."  
  
"She is, she is. But everyone knows it's Joseph she really wants. At least, that's who she wants right now. I saw her sneaking some glances towards Will today and I don't like those signs at all. Of course, Will is too sensible to be taken in by someone like Myra Blewett."  
  
"Yes, he is. And so is Joseph. Now, Lorelei, I only gave him a kiss because he gave me a pretty compliment and a very good piece of advice. Don't go turning this into something more than that. You needn't look at me with that innocent face, Lorelei. I know how your imagination can run away with you sometimes. Joseph is eight years older than I am! The idea of him being in love with me is ridiculous."  
  
"Alright. I'll behave. But it's no fun that way, Chris. I suppose we should be getting back to the party. I saw you dancing with Danny Sloane earlier. Do your feet hurt much?"  
  
"Just a little," Chris replied laughingly as they made their way back. "We shouldn't be so mean to Danny, Lorelei. He's such a nice boy."  
  
"Yes, but he's a Sloane," Lorelei stated, as if that was all that really mattered in the end. "Oh, by the way, have you danced with Will yet?"  
  
"No, I haven't," came the carefully guarded reply.  
  
"Well, be sure you do. I bragged to him this morning that you were one of the best dancers on the Island and he didn't believe me. You have to prove him wrong, Chris."  
  
"I'll do my best," Chris said, contriving to make it sound as if she were making a great sacrifice to dance with William Pike. They returned to the party just in time for the last dance and, before any other boy could get to her, Will swept Chris into the circle of dancers. They were perfectly matched, really. It wasn't the first time they had danced together. The first time had been in Hester Gray's garden with the moon and stars for party decoration and the wind whistling through the trees for music. Chris thought she would've preferred dancing there again, but she was happy enough to dance with Will at all.  
  
The two of them were very careful to not look directly in each other's eyes, for fear someone would glimpse something in that moment, and they held each other as old friends dancing together. Indeed, a casual observer might have said they looked rather bored together. But Gilbert and Anne Blythe, dancing by the couple, were anything but casual observers.  
  
"Did you see what I saw?" Gilbert asked his wife. Anne sighed a little. Another sign that her grandchildren were growing up.  
  
"I wonder how long that's been going on," she wondered out loud. "Do you think Rilla and Ken know?"  
  
Gilbert shook his head.  
  
"I doubt it. Really, Anne-girl, we must be getting old. We've been here over three weeks ourselves and we never suspected a thing. I guess that's where her walks at night lead her."  
  
"Should we tell Rilla and Ken?" Anne asked concernedly. Gilbert just smiled.  
  
"No, Anne, we shouldn't. William Pike is a fine young man and he's Walter's best friend. I'm sure he has nothing but the best intentions. Let them have their fun for a while. It's doubtful they'll have a reason for fun much longer."  
  
"Gil, you promised," Anne began, but her husband silenced her with a quick kiss.  
  
"That's right. I promised. No mention of the war. Now, shall we show these young people what real dancing is?"  
  
Anne laughed as Gilbert maneuvered them skillfully around the dancing circle, but she couldn't quite keep the shadow of concern out of her eyes. And she prayed silently that history would not be repeated.  
  
*********************************************September 10, 1939  
  
Chris, Lorelei, Cecily, and Emily spent the day after the wedding doing nothing but running around Avonlea. They explored the Haunted Wood, the Dryad's Bubble, the Lake of Shining Waters. They even climbed into the hayloft of the King barn and swung out on the rope that Chris hadn't played on in years. It was strange, she reflected, being a young woman one day and a little girl the next.  
  
They ate lunch at the King farm, relieving a thankful Janet King of several leftovers from the wedding feast. Then they all trooped over to Orchard Slope and terrorized Aunt Di for a little while. She finally ran them off, not unkindly, with a small piece of cake each. They went back to the Haunted Wood and devoured the cake there and talked until the sun began to go down. The girls walked back by the Pike home, dropping Cecily off and picking up a few things for Lorelei. A double treat, Lorelei had been given permission to stay the night at Green Gables. Then it was back to Orchard Slope, where a decidedly sleepy Emily was ushered in by Aunt Di.  
  
Chris and Lorelei entered the Green Gables kitchen laughing, but they stopped when they saw everyone gathered around the radio. Chris became worried. Mother and Grandmother had turned pale, Father and Grandfather were shaking their heads in disbelief. Leslie was crying, Walter's jaw clenched and unclenched, and Matthew looked somewhat frightened.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Chris. Leslie looked at her with eyes like drowned violets.  
  
"Canada has declared war on Germany," she replied.  
  
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A/N: All for now! If you didn't like it, please let me know and I'll apologize to you bee-yoo-tifully. If you did like it, let me know and I'll be your friend for life. In short, please review! 


	6. A Soldier Has His Say

A/N: Okay, this chapter is strictly Leslie. I'm sorry to divert your attention away from Chris and Will, but I have to write this now.  
  
Marzoog: It is my pleasure to inform you that Will is not a mean person and he loves Chris very much. He won't let her go without a fight, believe me. Leslie was annoying me, too. In fact, she was annoying me so much that I changed her behavior sooner than I was originally going to. That's okay, though, because it clears the path for my next plot point.  
  
Ruby: I know why you like Joseph more. He's older and more mature than Will and is therefore a little more well spoken. Let's face it, most twenty-three year old men know how to compliment a young lady better than a sixteen (almost seventeen) year old boy does. There will be drama, I promise, but I'm afraid it isn't going to be the way you think it will be. That's all I'll say. P.S. I like long reviews, too. The longer the better.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: LOL. I know what you mean about reading fanfics that are already finished. Right now, I'm on pins and needles with two 'A Knight's Tale' fanfics that I've been reading. It's sheer torture. And you rank my story with 'Wild Magnolias'? Wow! Thanks for the compliment. By the way, does anyone know when that one might be updated? (hint-hint)  
  
PhiloNysh: Welcome! Welcome! Yes, Gilbert and Anne notice. Is there any secret safe from those two? They're too sharp to not see things as they truly are. Per your request, I am 'carrying on'.  
  
Gufa: Leslie does indeed have a heart and that will be explored further in this chapter. I haven't had Pat meet other LMM characters (yet) because the timeline is so different in the Pat stories. Hey, maybe I could work Pat into this one, ya think?  
  
Anonymous327: Am I toying with your emotions? I'm sorry. The Will vs. Joseph thing really is nonexistent. It will be settled by the end of this chapter.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~September 18, 1939  
  
Leslie absentmindedly played with a lock of her hair as she sat by the Dryad's Bubble. This had been her favorite place as a child and, these past few days, she had felt it's pull. The peace and quiet was just what she had needed. Everyone was out of sorts at Green Gables. Father was upset because the nation was at war, Leslie had overheard Matthew telling Walter that he was upset because the war would likely be over before he could join up, Walter was upset because, despite the fact that he would be eighteen in February, Father had forbid him to join before Mother had the baby. Chris and Mother were upset because of Walter and Matthew's eagerness to enlist.  
  
Of course, Leslie feared for her brothers as well, but, right now, she was a bit upset over something else. Several of the boys in Avonlea that had confessed undying love for her in the past had joined up and come to see her right afterwards, asking her to wait for them. The old Leslie would have promised such a thing lightly enough and then promised the next boy the same thing. But Leslie had done a lot of soul searching since her talk with Chris.  
  
It was amazing, she thought, that a girl of fifteen could know so much. It had nearly broken Leslie's heart to send those boys away without the promise they wanted. How could she have been so cruel? She had built up their hopes and then had to dash them away just when they needed them the most. What if one of them were wounded or even killed? But no, she wouldn't think like that. That was borrowing trouble.  
  
To her credit, Leslie had promised the boys her eternal friendship and she had promised to write them. They really were nice boys, most of them childhood friends, and all had accepted her promise graciously. She had sent each of them away with a friendly kiss on the cheek. Their graciousness had only served to make her feel even more guilty and she had begun to wish that Lord Tweedsmuir had never been born. This was rather unfair of Leslie, since Lord Tweedsmuir had only made the announcement that Canada was at war. He hadn't reached the decision all by himself.  
  
One thing made Leslie feel a little better. When she had sent David Andrews away, Leslie had been even more crushed than she was with the others. Of all the boys that she had 'gone out' with, David was the nicest and she really did care for him. But she couldn't promise him her love. She had cried for nearly an hour in her bedroom before Grandmother had come in and told her she had done the right thing. Leslie was glad that Grandmother had decided to stay at Green Gables until the end of September, even if Grandfather did have to go back to Ingleside. Grandmother had been very comforting and had said she was proud of Leslie for being true to herself. It was the only thing, sometimes, that kept Leslie from going crazy with guilt.  
  
She was becoming very unpopular among what she once thought was her circle of friends. Many of the boys who had come to her were the brothers of her 'friends', and, once the girls had found out she had sent them away, they were very cold to her. Leslie was very hurt by their indifference. Sometimes, they were downright malicious. One good thing had come of this, though. She was beginning to rebuild her relationships with Chris and Walter. Leslie had been very surprised by Lorelei Pike, who had been eager to be her friend. She had always considered Lorelei as nothing more than Sara's little sister. It was nice to know that, just as Chris had told her, she did have people who cared about her.  
  
Leslie knew that the boys she had sent away didn't love her as deeply as they claimed to. They simply thought they were in love with her. It made things a little easier but, at the same time, it made Leslie wonder if she were the type of girl that any man could truly love. Leslie had learned that it was easy enough to make a man say he loved you, but to have him say it sincerely was an entirely different matter.  
  
She tried to turn her thoughts to pleasant things, and would've succeeded, if she hadn't caught a glimpse of a khaki uniform headed her way. Oh no, not again. Who was it this time? She stood and smoothed out her dress, immediately aware of her appearance. Knowing she was going to be outdoors all day and thinking no one would see her, she had put on an old dress of Mother's before going out and had left her hair down around her face, not bothering to pin it back. She must look awful, really. On the other hand, it would probably be easier for the boy if she wasn't looking her best. Maybe it was providential that she had chosen such attire that morning.  
  
Leslie grew confused when she realized that it was no mere Avonlea boy who was coming towards her. No, it was Joseph Keith. Although she couldn't know just why, Leslie felt her heart plunge when she saw him in uniform. So Joseph was leaving too. Somehow, Leslie had thought he wouldn't have to go. After all, he had a farm to care for. Oh, why did such a thing as war exist?  
  
Joseph felt his heart stop for a moment when Leslie stood up. He thought she made a very beautiful picture in that old-fashioned dress and he loved it when she wore her hair down like that. Her hair always looked so soft and Joseph knew, for he had gotten close enough once, that it smelled like lavender. When he saw her look at him, he was tempted to turn back around and run as fast as he could. But something in him rebelled against that instinct and he set his jaw determinedly. It was time that he said what he had come here to say.  
  
For her part, Leslie was wondering what on earth Joseph was coming to her for. Maybe he was looking for Walter. Yes, that must be it. She didn't stop to think that, if Joseph were looking for Walter, he would probably have a better idea of where to look than Leslie would. When he reached her, Leslie smiled up at him. Not her flirty, dazzling smile, but a sweet, friendly smile that made Joseph's heart beat even faster, if such a thing was possible.  
  
"When did you join up, Joseph?" she asked.  
  
"Yesterday in Charlottetown," he replied, succeeding in keeping his voice calm. "I had quite a fight on my hands trying to keep your brother from doing the same thing. Of course, he's not old enough, yet. I tried to point that out to him, but he said he could lie about his age. I think your father has the right idea, by the way. Your mother doesn't need to be worrying herself sick over Walter right now."  
  
Leslie merely nodded her head in reply. She agreed with Father as well and, this morning, it seemed as though Walter was starting to see the sense in it. Maybe Joseph had something to do with that. But, all of a sudden, she was becoming very uncomfortable. Obviously, Joseph was not looking for Walter. Why was he here then? She had her answer when she felt her hand being taken in his.  
  
"Leslie, I didn't come here to talk about Walter or any other member of your family. I came here to say something I should have said long ago, but I didn't have the courage to. I love you, Leslie. I think I always have. I realize you probably don't return these feelings and, if you don't, I understand. But I have to know before I leave, Leslie, if I at least have a chance at a future with you."  
  
There was a long, rather awkward silence. Leslie kept her face down, unable to meet Joseph's gaze. This was not something she had been prepared for. She had never given Joseph the slightest bit of encouragement and here he was, claiming to love her. This was even worse than when she had sent David Andrews away. She took a deep breath and slowly raised her head until her eyes met his, preparing to gently refuse him, no matter how pleadingly he looked at her.  
  
But when she looked into his face, her own heart beat a little faster. His eyes were burning with an intensity that Leslie had never seen in anyone's eyes before. She quickly realized that he did not imagine himself in love with her. He really and truly loved her. This confused Leslie and, for a time, she didn't know what to say. But something in her heart whispered that to flat out refuse Joseph would be a mistake. Before she could stop herself, she was giving him an answer.  
  
"I really don't know what to say, Joseph. Could you give me a little time? This is so unexpected."  
  
At that moment, Joseph would have given her anything she wanted. He was amazed at her response. He was sure that the answer was going to be no, but he had realized that he would go crazy if he didn't at least tell her how he felt before he left. Slowly, he began to nod his head.  
  
"Of course I can give you some time. But, Leslie, I'll be leaving in two days."  
  
"I'll have an answer for you by then," she heard herself say. Her mind screamed at her that she was insane. Why was she dragging this out? Why was she stringing him along? Joseph looked at her for a moment and then, surprising himself, kissed her on the top of the head. Before Leslie could say anything, he was gone. She walked back to Green Gables in a daze. Chris saw the look on her face when she came through the door and she followed her up the stairs to their bedroom.  
  
Leslie sat on her bed and let out a huge breath, as if she had been unable to breathe for some time. Chris sat down in the window seat and remained silent. She knew Leslie would speak sooner or later. She didn't have to wait long.  
  
"Chris, I think the entire world is topsy-turvy," Leslie finally stated.  
  
"I would have to agree with you, Leslie. Nothing is the same as it used to be. I don't know if things will ever be the same again."  
  
"Joseph Keith has joined up."  
  
Chris blinked back a few tears. She knew Joseph had joined up and it was tearing her apart. He had come by earlier, looking for Leslie. She loved Joseph almost as much as she loved Walter and Matthew. It had felt so strange to look at him in uniform. She had been proud of him but heartbroken at the same time.  
  
"I know," she replied. But Leslie's next words stunned her.  
  
"He said that he loves me, Chris."  
  
So, he had finally gotten the courage up to tell Leslie. Had her sister broken his heart? Sent him away without any hope at all? Chris felt herself getting angry and she whirled to confront Leslie, but all the fire went out of her when she realized her sister was crying. She said nothing, waiting for Leslie to continue.  
  
"Oh, Chris, I'm so confused. I started to tell him that I couldn't love him that way, that he was like a brother to me. I started to tell him that I valued his friendship and would write to him every day. But I just couldn't do it. Instead, I told him I needed time. Chris, what kind of a person am I? I don't love Joseph, not in that way. I know I don't love him, so why should I give him even the vaguest sense of hope? It's cruel of me! I do like Joseph. No one could help liking him. But love? No. No, I don't love him. It's impossible. We've only ever been friends. We could never be anything more. I don't love him."  
  
At this point, Chris was rather amused by the whole thing. For someone who was so certain of her feelings, Leslie certainly was blabbering on and on about them. She was arguing for no reason. Chris walked over to Leslie, sat down next to her and put her arms around her sister. Leslie looked at her, waiting for words of comfort. Very gently, Chris kissed her sister on the cheek and then gave her a look that was mischievous yet serious all at once.  
  
"Leslie, darling, are you trying to convince me of your feelings for Joseph? Or are you trying to convince yourself?"  
  
Chris stood up and walked out, leaving a very confused Leslie sitting on her bed, staring after her little sister in shock.  
  
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A/N: That's it. I hope you all like Leslie a little better now. I just couldn't keep her the way she was. We'll focus more on Chris later (and the war). Please review. 


	7. Revelations

A/N: Still going with Leslie on this. After all, I have to resolve the Leslie/Joseph thing, don't I?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Joseph looking at her. That look unnerved Leslie. She had never been on the receiving end of a look like that. In fact, she didn't think she had ever seen a person look at another person like that.  
  
The walls of the bedroom seemed to close in around her. She could hear soft breathing from the other side of the dark room and became unjustly infuriated with her younger sister. How could Chris sleep at a time like this? Really, the girl had no tact at all.  
  
Leslie rose quickly and put on her robe. She intended to go to the kitchen for a drink, but, instead, found herself heading out the door. Quietly, she stole away to the side of the house and sat down on the tree swing that Father had built for all of them so long ago. Amazingly, it seemed to still be in very good shape. Leslie realized then that Father must keep it in good repair for Aunt Di's and Mrs. Pike's children too. It seemed those families were always together at one event or another.  
  
She gently pushed herself with her bare feet, not caring that the ground was rather wet. It was rather nice to be outside in bare feet and not wear those silly slippers she had that pinched so often. The moon shone brilliantly that night and Leslie found herself transfixed by it. She had always been enchanted by the moon.  
  
Thoughts of the moon soon brought her back around to Joseph and Leslie gritted her teeth in frustration. Why did he have to go and ruin things with that silly declaration of love? He was just making himself and her miserable. Joseph was a grown man! Why didn't he realize that, like the others, he just fancied himself in love with her? A grown man should know better.  
  
But his eyes! Once again, for what seemed the thousandth time that night, Leslie relived that moment when she had met his eyes with her own. Something in them made her tremble, made her frightened. Why should she be frightened of Joseph?  
  
It was a troubling thought and one that she tried desperately not to dwell upon. But it was no use. Soon, everywhere she looked, she saw him. There wasn't one place at Green Gables that didn't hold some memory that she had shared with Joseph. Only two summers ago, over by that rosebush, he had blushingly told her that she was growing into a very beautiful lady. Four years ago, he had helped Walter, Chris, and Matthew build that little tree house when Father was sick and couldn't help them finish it. Leslie remembered that time very well. She had been thirteen and, it couldn't be denied, she had harbored quite a crush on Joseph at the time. At that point, she had no interest in tree houses, but she pretended to so she could be near Joseph.  
  
But that was just a girlish crush! She was far past that now. Leslie tried her best to be sensible but, when one is swinging on a tree swing under the moonlight at two o'clock in the morning, sensibility is simply not an option. To her horror, she started thinking of how sweet Joseph was. Really, he was one of the kindest men she had ever met. Thoughtful, generous, and funny once you got to know him. He was undoubtedly the handsomest man Leslie knew with his bronzed skin, fair hair, and hazel eyes. And those dimples! Chris wasn't the only girl in the Ford family to notice Joseph Keith's dimples. Yet, with all that, his looks were the last thing Leslie thought about. How strange, she reflected. Looks had always been rather important to Leslie.  
  
By this time, she was quite caught up in thinking about Joseph and unable to stop her thoughts from going further. She remembered one day about a year ago when that horrid Myra Blewett bragged about how she was going to land Joseph for a husband. Oh, she had been furious with Myra! As if Joseph Keith would ever give Myra Blewett a second look. She had never thought about the reason for her anger then, but she did now. It was always like that when the other girls talked about Joseph and how handsome he was. Leslie had joined in the conversations on the surface but, underneath, she had always been thinking that there wasn't a girl there who was good enough for Joseph. Why was she so protective of him?  
  
Then there was that little episode at Sara Pike's wedding. Leslie had been shocked at the anger that had flared up in her when she saw Chris kiss Joseph. Why should she be angry? Wasn't Joseph like a brother to her and to Chris? It had only been a tiny peck on the cheek. Was she jealous of her own sister?  
  
That thought brought Leslie up short. She stopped swinging and her face was frozen in shock. She had been jealous of Chris. This was a most revealing realization. There was no reason to be jealous of Chris unless.unless.  
  
Leslie rather shamelessly admitted then and there that she wanted to be the one kissing Joseph. She threw all propriety aside when she went one step further and admitted that she didn't want it to be a friendly kiss, either. Could it be that, all this time, while she had been making a fool out of herself over most of the boys in Avonlea, the only one she had any true feelings for was Joseph?  
  
This was too much to take all at once. Leslie stood up and began to walk back and forth. It didn't help, though. It was no use. She, Leslie Marilla Ford, was in love with Joseph Keith. Hopelessly in love with him. And now he was leaving, possibly never to return. Abandoning common sense completely, Leslie began to cry. She sat down on the front porch of Green Gables and cried her eyes out, not caring in the least if anyone saw her. Who would see her at this time of the morning anyway?  
  
She didn't hear the footsteps until it was too late. Through her tears, she saw the brown boots on the porch of Green Gables. She raised her head slowly, following the rather worn looking pants, the blue and white striped shirt, until, finally, she looked into the pair of hazel eyes that she had been seeing all night. And they still held the same intensity, the same fire. Too far gone to care anymore for appearances, Leslie, in one swift move, leapt up, wrapped her arms around Joseph's neck and kissed him. For a moment, he was too stunned to reciprocate, but only for a moment. When he finally released her, she blushed furiously, ashamed of her forwardness. But Joseph only smiled at her, leaned down, and whispered in her ear.  
  
"Were you trying to tell me something, Leslie?"  
  
She looked up at him through her lashes, suddenly very shy. Joseph grinned.  
  
"You have to say it. I have to hear it, Leslie."  
  
His hand brushed a lock of her hair away from her face and he tilted her chin up until her eyes met his squarely. Leslie was made bold by the look he gave her.  
  
"I love you, Joseph."  
  
It's a good thing that folks in Avonlea don't go down the road by Green Gables at three o'clock in the morning. Otherwise, they would have had plenty to gossip about for, at that point, neither Joseph nor Leslie cared a whit if anyone saw them or not.  
  
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A/N: I know it's short, but that's the way it happens sometimes. I hope you like Leslie more now. She'll still have her spells now and then but, for the most part, she's grown up.  
  
Gufa: It does seem funny to think of Anne as a grandmother. I think she's still tall and rather slender, but with beautiful silver hair in place of the beautiful red, and her eyes are still as bewitching as ever. Of course, she and Gilbert still act as young as they did before they even had any children and they're still just as much in love as they ever were, if not more so.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: Well, you were right. Silly Leslie. Sounds like she has as much trouble telling the difference between a friend and a 'lover' as her grandmother did. Luckily, she got it sorted out quickly enough.  
  
Faerie5: I'm glad you like Joseph so much. Sounds like I'm going to be concentrating on Will now, though. You guys aren't supposed to like Joseph more than you do Will. EEP! Mistake on my part. Oh well. Maybe I can rescue poor Will now.  
  
Steph: Hi! It makes me feel good to know that you think Leslie is more likeable now. I was worried that I had spoiled her past redemption. My only problem now is that I've shipped Joseph off to war. I really like writing his character. I guess I'll need to come up with a new character from outside Avonlea. A really interesting one. Hmmm. I must think about that one for a moment.  
  
Marzoog: You had murder on your mind? Oooooo. Sounds like I pulled Leslie out of the depths just in time. I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much.  
  
Ruby: I AM doing my research and I'm beginning to find it all very fascinating. I've always loved history and I do know quite a bit about WWII in general, but not much about the Canadian part of it. I'm uncovering new things all the time that would be good to work into a story. Lord Tweedsmuir was one of them. It just puts more of a personal spin on things. Besides, his name is priceless. Sounds like a Dickens character or something. By the way, in case you haven't read my review yet, I did finally get to read 'Falling Out' on your 'Diana of Green Gables' fic. Great chapter. I hate my computer. 


	8. A Loss of Temper

A/N: I'm back. Here we go on another adventure. I'm going to start skipping around quite a bit now in regards to the timeline, so bear with me. After all, I've got to cover the entire war in this fic. Also, part of this chapter was inspired by the movie 'An Avonlea Christmas'. I rented it the other night and thought it was pretty good. Of course, it's set during World War I, but I figured the spirit might be the same.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~December 21, 1939  
  
Chris felt the anger rising up within her, but she kept it down inside and continued to help Leslie with the dishes, at the same time trying to ignore Walter and Matthew. Father and Mother had gone into Charlottetown for the day and, apparently, Walter had decided that this was his opportunity to discuss the war as much as he wanted to. No one in Green Gables was allowed to discuss the war. Father said they all needed a break from time to time. Home, he said, should be a refuge.  
  
Walter obeyed Father for the most part but, now that he and Mother were out of the house, he had seized the chance to talk to his younger brother about the war. That's all the two of them ever would talk about together. Chris was furious with Walter for filling Matthew's head with stories of Churchill and Hitler and Mussolini. Matthew was far too young to even think about joining up and Walter was only making the situation worse. What were they discussing now? Chris's eyes widened as she heard the words 'tank', 'gun', and 'mortar'. Merciful heavens! Walter was telling Matthew about weapons.  
  
Chris glanced sideways at Leslie, who was drying the dishes, and saw that she was looking rather pale herself. Poor Leslie. She tried so hard to be calm when the war was mentioned, but Chris knew that all Leslie could think about was Joseph. Joseph, who was so far away from home and friends. Chris missed him so much, but she knew Leslie missed him more. She didn't know what she'd do if Will joined up. But, surely, this war would be over before that was possible. Will wouldn't be eighteen for another year and Gus Pike would not sign papers permitting his son to go over right now. Wait. What was Walter saying?  
  
"I'm telling you, Matthew. The day this baby is born, I'm going into town and enlisting. I won't have people calling me a coward. I'll get over there and show Hitler what us Canadians are made out of. You'll see. Then, someday, you can do the same thing. Just think of it, Matthew. HEY!!"  
  
Walter found himself ducking as his baby sister launched a large, soapy glass in his direction. It was a good thing he ducked, too. Chris's aim was excellent and she only missed Walter by inches. He raised his head, his blue eyes flaming as soapy water ran down his face. Chris was rather satisfied to see that he had at least gotten wet and she was too angry to be worried about the glass, which now lay shattered on the kitchen floor. Under normal circumstances, she might've been frightened by that look in her brother's eyes. She had seen that look before, but never had it been directed towards her. At this point, however, she was too furious to care. Before Walter could speak, she did.  
  
"It's just what you deserved, Walter Owen Ford! I wish I had hit you! Maybe it would've knocked some sense into your thick head."  
  
"Chris," began Leslie in a warning tone, but Chris cut her off.  
  
"I know what I'm doing, Leslie. Stay out of this."  
  
Leslie complied, but she was a little worried. Chris stepped closer to Walter, whose own anger hadn't abated in the slightest. The two siblings regarded each other for a moment before Chris began to speak again.  
  
"If you weren't so wrapped up in yourself, Walter, you'd see what you're doing to the people who love you. All this talk about you going off to war is simply killing Mother. Yes, Walter, it's killing her. All your brave posing is the last thing she needs right now. Is there any particular reason you want to go off and get yourself killed, Walter? I'd like to know the reason if there is one. Why can't you just be happy here for the time being? Why can't you just be glad that you're not over there in some horrible trench with guns going off all around you and your friends dying right in front of you? That's what war is, Walter. It's death and disease and blood. It's boys going away from home and never coming back. Why are you so anxious to be part of it?"  
  
By this time, Matthew and Leslie were standing to one side, staring at their sister in shock. Walter, although still rather angry, began to feel guilty as he saw the tears that were now streaming down his little sister's cheeks. Chris had lost all control of her emotions and was crying tears of rage and sorrow all at the same time. For a moment, no one said a word. No one even moved. After a while, Walter, feeling quite guilty, reached out to take Chris's hand. At his touch, though, she pulled back as if he were a snake and ran out of the kitchen. Leslie followed her to the front door where Chris began fumbling into her coat.  
  
She opened the door, ignoring the cold wind that whipped around her cheeks, stinging them, and set out for Shadowbrook, the Pike home. Chris heard Leslie calling her, but she ignored her sister and kept walking without looking back. As she walked, she was able to start calming herself. Oh, she had said such horrible things to Walter! How could she have done that? But she wasn't calm enough yet to turn back and apologize. No, she needed to see Will. What if Will weren't home? Well, if Will wasn't home, then she would talk to Lorelei. She needed a friend now. Someone from outside the family.  
  
Just when she thought the day couldn't get any worse, Chris saw a figure coming from the opposite direction. Oh, no. It was Tom Gillis. Would he ever leave her alone? He had made quite a nuisance of himself since Chris's sixteenth birthday in October. It seemed as if he was always around. Chris sped up and kept her head down, hoping he wouldn't see her. But the fates were against her.  
  
"Chris? Is that you?"  
  
He had seen her. Well, there was no gracious escape now. She stopped and spoke to him, smiling at him in a friendly fashion.  
  
"Hello, Tom. Where are you off to?"  
  
"Actually, I was just on my way to Green Gables to see you. I was wondering if you'd like to go to the New Year's Eve dance with me."  
  
So that was it. She had made her decision about the dance at White Sands a few nights ago. If she couldn't go with Will, then she wouldn't go at all. She hadn't really counted on any other boys wanting to go with her. It was a bit of a surprise to her.  
  
"I'm flattered, Tom. I really am. It's awfully sweet of you to ask me. But I'm afraid I can't go."  
  
Tom frowned a little.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Chris's mind searched desperately for an explanation. She was too young and her parents wouldn't allow her to go to a dance. No, that wouldn't work. Leslie had been allowed at dances when she was sixteen, so it wouldn't make any sense that Chris wouldn't be allowed. They were having a night at home that night? No, that wouldn't work either. Walter was taking Leslie to the dance, so their appearance would contradict that explanation. Oh, what was she going to do?  
  
"I can't go because, because," she trailed off. Tom stood in front of her, looking expectant. His gaze flustered Chris and she finally blurted something out.  
  
"Because I already promised someone else," she finished. Why did she say that? Now he would expect to at least see her at the dance.  
  
"Oh, I see," he replied, not looking at all convinced. There was an uncomfortable silence, then-  
  
"Well, I guess I should be off," Chris said brightly, rather too brightly. "Lorelei is expecting me for a visit. I really am sorry, Tom."  
  
He merely inclined his head towards her and walked away, rather angrily Chris thought. Then again, he had a right to be angry. She had just lied to him and he knew it.  
  
She continued down the road, but was soon intercepted once again. This time though, she was very happy to see the interceptor. Not caring who saw, she ran straight to him and, once she found herself in his arms, the tears began all over again.  
  
Will just held her for a moment. He knew why she was upset. Leslie, suspecting her sister's destination, had phoned Shadowbrook to speak with Lorelei. But Will had been the only one home and, once he had heard what events had transpired at Green Gables, he had put on his own coat to meet Chris halfway.  
  
When Chris had calmed down, he managed to get her off the main road so they wouldn't be seen together. He had a surprise for her, one that he hadn't planned on giving her until Christmas Day, but it seemed more appropriate right now and it would cheer her up. Will led her deep into the Haunted Wood, which really did look very beautiful in its winter cloak of white. He let her gain control again before speaking.  
  
"I'll have to remember not to make you mad when you have a wet, soapy glass in your hand."  
  
Chris looked up at him in shock, unable to believe what he had just said. Then the humor of the situation struck her and she began to laugh. There had been times in years past when she would've loved to throw something at William Pike. Will smiled as he watched her. He loved to hear that pretty, silvery laugh. He was always searching for ways to get her to laugh simply so he could listen to the sound.  
  
She wiped away the last of her tears as she laughed. When she had stopped, Will took her hand in his and they started walking through the woods.  
  
"I really did say some awful things to Walter," she said suddenly. "I don't think he'll ever be able to forgive me."  
  
"Of course he will. But, right now, I think I owe you an apology as well."  
  
"What in the world for?" Chris asked, clearly confused by this turn of events. Will stopped and brought her around to face him.  
  
"Because I've been insufferable, too. All I ever talk about is the war when I'm with you. Why don't you ever tell me to shut my mouth? Lorelei does all the time."  
  
This statement brought a smile from Chris. She could just picture Lorelei telling Will to shut his mouth. The two of them had a very interesting relationship. They were constantly bickering, but even with all that it was obvious how much they loved each other.  
  
"What I'm trying to say, Chris, is that I'm probably just as much to blame for your outburst as Walter is. Neither of us has been very considerate of your feelings and, well, I just want to say I'm sorry."  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I should be more supportive of both of you. I am proud, really, that you want to fight for your country. But I'm so afraid of losing you at the same time. It's so hard to know what to do. It's hard to do what everyone tells me I should be doing. How can I support your decision to go away when there's a chance you might not ever come back?"  
  
Her voice held no trace of tears or anger, just confusion. Will cupped her chin in his hand and brought her face to his. Chris was somewhat surprised at first when she felt Will's lips on hers, but she quickly returned the kiss joyously. What was it about Will that made all her doubts and fears disappear? When they pulled away from each other, Will reached into his coat pocket.  
  
"I have a present for you," he said.  
  
"But it isn't Christmas, yet."  
  
"Never mind that. We need it now, so let's go ahead and have it."  
  
Chris took the package wrapped in shiny paper and began to open it. Inside was a long, black velvet box. She looked at him questioningly before opening it, then she gave a little gasp.  
  
"They're not quite real," he rushed to explain, "but I'll get you some real ones one day. I promise."  
  
Chris nearly cried as she lifted the strand of tiny, delicate pearls out of the box. They were so beautiful. More beautiful than any piece of jewelry she had ever seen.  
  
"Real ones couldn't be half as beautiful as these are, Will. However did you get the money to afford them, though?"  
  
"I saved up enough. You really shouldn't ask such questions, you know," Will replied. He neglected to tell her that he had sold a few of his possessions so he could get the rest of the money for the necklace. After all, what were possessions compared to seeing those grey eyes sparkle like that? He received a full reward when she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug, followed by another kiss. Why had he avoided kissing her again for so long? He couldn't remember the reason.  
  
"You really shouldn't have, Will," Chris said, when they had pulled away again.  
  
"Well, I figured that a beautiful young lady like you needed an equally beautiful piece of jewelry to wear to her first dance."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Chris, will you go with me to the New Year's Eve dance at White Sands? We can still keep us a secret until then, but I would like to get it all out in the open. I want everyone to know that I belong to you. And that you belong to me. I love you, Chris, and I don't care who knows it."  
  
Chris wasn't sure what to say. The thought of going to the dance with Will was very tempting, but part of her still longed to keep their relationship a secret. On the other hand, life might be much easier if everything were out in the open. She looked up at Will and asked him a question he hadn't been expecting.  
  
"What if I say no, Will?"  
  
He was flustered and his smile faded, but only for a moment. He took her hand and kissed it.  
  
"Then we stay a secret, Chris. If you're not ready to let everyone know about us, I understand. We'll just keep doing what we've been doing. There's no sense in revealing things when only one of us is ready."  
  
It was the answer Chris had hoped for and she gave him his hoped for answer in return.  
  
"What time will you pick me up for the dance?"  
  
A/N: Next chapter: Dealing with Walter and the events at the dance. 


	9. His Whole World

A/N: Yay! I love posting more than one chapter at a time. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Anyway, on with the story.  
  
It was late afternoon when Chris came back to Green Gables. Mother and Father had returned and, if they had been told anything about that morning, they didn't say anything to her about it. In a way, it made her feel even worse for the things she had said to her brother. She managed to hide the gift from Will until she made it up to the room she shared with Leslie.  
  
She took the necklace out again as soon as she was sure she was alone. It really was very pretty. She had spoken the truth when she had said that real ones couldn't be any more beautiful. And it was so sweet of Will to buy her something like this. She was so caught up in admiring it that she didn't hear the bedroom door open. Therefore, she was quite startled when she turned her head and saw Leslie behind her. She tried to hide the necklace, but it was too late.  
  
"Isn't that Mother's?" Leslie asked. "No, wait. Mother's is a double strand. Where did you get that, Chris?"  
  
"It was a gift," Chris faltered. "From a friend."  
  
Leslie raised one eyebrow questioningly.  
  
"A friend, you say? Lorelei perhaps? No, that doesn't seem like something Lorelei might give you. Who gave it to you, Chris? It's beautiful."  
  
Chris mumbled something that Leslie couldn't hear.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I said Will. Will Pike gave it to me," Chris repeated, her tone loud and clear. Leslie looked blankly at her sister for a moment before realization began to dawn.  
  
"Christine Ford, do you mean to tell me that you and Will Pike are-?"  
  
"Oh, Leslie, don't tell anybody. Please don't tell. Let me keep it a secret a little longer. Will and I, well, I guess you could say we've been 'seeing each other' for some time now."  
  
"Wait a minute, wait a minute. How long is 'some time now'?"  
  
Chris found that it was rather nice to be able to tell Leslie all about this. She sat in the window seat and Leslie sat across from her, eager to find out what had been going on.  
  
"Since February," she replied, enjoying the look on Leslie's face. In no time at all, the girls began discussing Chris and Will's 'secret love affair'. Of course, Chris didn't tell Leslie all the details. Things like their dances in the moonlight and the way he always kissed her hand before they parted were considered sacred by Chris. Leslie knew there must be more to it, but she did not press her sister. Oh, it was so exciting. Will Pike and Chris! What a wonderful match!  
  
The conversation soon turned to Walter and Leslie told Chris that, after she had gone, Walter had left as well. He hadn't come back yet, but Leslie wasn't too worried. She was sure he'd be back soon. He just needed some time to himself.  
  
Suppertime rolled around and, when the family gathered around to eat, Walter was noticeably absent. The meal was silent for, by this time, even Father was getting worried. Mother went to bed after the dishes were done, but Chris knew she didn't go to sleep. Unable to stand it any longer, she put on her coat and started out the door. She expected Father to call her back, but maybe Ken Ford sensed his daughter's restlessness, because all he said was to be home in an hour.  
  
Chris took the road past Joseph's home and was surprised when she saw a light burning in one of the windows. Immediately, she thought of Walter and quickened her steps towards the house. She didn't knock, but went right on in. Walter was sitting in the front room, staring at a picture in his hands. Chris went up to him cautiously and felt tears sting her eyes when she saw the picture closer.  
  
It had been taken four years ago behind Green Gables. They had just finished the tree house and Father had taken a picture with Joseph's camera. Leslie, Chris, and Matthew were up in the tree house, hanging their heads out the windows and grinning like Cheshire cats. Joseph hadn't gone up because he was too tall and Walter, in the throes of hero worship, had insisted on staying with him for the picture. They stood at the base of the tree, Joseph's hand resting on Walter's shoulder and Walter looking very proud of himself. Chris remembered that day very well.  
  
"Do you think he's alright?" Walter suddenly asked in a voice so unlike his own that Chris couldn't be sure he was the one who had spoken.  
  
"I'm sure he's alright, Walter. Walter, I'm so sorry for what I said to you this morning. Truly I am. I had no right to say such things. And I'm sorry I threw the glass at you, too."  
  
Walter looked up at Chris and gave a ghost of a smile that didn't reach his eyes.  
  
"No, I'm sorry. You were right. I have been selfish and inconsiderate. It must be hard for you girls, listening to all of us go on and on about leaving Avonlea and fighting in far away battles. I forgot that this war requires sacrifices from everyone, not just from men. It was wrong of me."  
  
"Let's blame it on the moon," Chris said. This elicited a real smile from her brother, who stood up and hugged her fiercely. Walter didn't want to leave yet, so Chris phoned Green Gables and spoke with her father, who was upset that Walter hadn't bothered to contact any of them. Nevertheless, he gave them permission to stay there for a little bit longer. Maybe he knew they needed the time together.  
  
Walter had a cheery fire going in the fireplace when Chris brought him a hot cup of tea. They sat in front of the fire and talked of everything and nothing. Chris reflected that it was very nice to be able to have some time alone with her brother. They lost track of time as they talked and were astonished when they realized it was midnight. Chris quickly cleaned the small mess they had made while Walter put the fire out. Then they headed towards Green Gables, arm in arm. The events of that morning had been forgotten.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~December 31, 1939  
  
"It's perfect with that dress, Chris," Leslie remarked, looking at her sister's reflection in the mirror. Chris had to agree that Will's necklace added the right touch. It was strange, really. She had never cared this much about her appearance before.  
  
Her gaze flickered over to Leslie. In Chris's opinion, Leslie looked more beautiful than she ever had before. It wasn't the dress she wore or the way she had her hair fixed, though both of those things were lovely. It was something different about Leslie herself. She seemed softer somehow. It really was amazing what love did to people.  
  
Chris stood and gave herself a final appraising glance. She wasn't incredibly pleased with what she saw, but she supposed it would do. In reality, Chris looked every inch a young woman that night. She wore a simple dress of white chiffon that, to her secret, childish delight, swayed beautifully when she moved. Will's pearls encircled her throat, fitting her perfectly. The sides of her hair were pulled up and held in place by a pearl clasp, revealing pearl eardrops. It was the first time Chris had ever worn any jewelry for her ears. They belonged to Mother, who had insisted she borrow them. The pearl clasp had been a gift from Walter, who had known about the necklace before Chris did. He had seen Will buying it.  
  
Leslie went on downstairs while Chris put the finishing touches on her face. Actually, she hated cosmetics, but a little more color in her cheeks couldn't hurt. Just as she was leaving her room, Leslie met her at the door, already wrapped up. She was carrying Chris's things as well.  
  
"Will is already downstairs waiting," she explained as Chris reluctantly bundled up. She hated to cover up her beautiful dress. "You should meet him bundled up like this. Then, when we get to the dance and he sees you looking so beautiful, he'll be speechless."  
  
Chris smiled at her sister. There really was no need for these games with Will. Still, it was a little bit fun to think of the look on his face when he would finally see her in her dress. The two girls went down the stairs, laughing and talking. At the door, a solemn looking Walter offered his arm to Leslie who took it with equal solemnity. They only made it halfway out the door before bursting into laughter. Chris and Will followed them, unable to take their eyes off each other. They were both nervous and excited. Their arrival at the dance together would end their secret romance and make them an 'item'.  
  
Ken and Rilla stood at the window and watched as the group piled into the car and Walter drove them all towards White Sands. Ken put his hands on Rilla's shoulders comfortingly. It was hard to watch one's children grow up. Such a bittersweet feeling to see them develop into the adults they would become.  
  
The entire room buzzed when Christine Ford arrived at the dance with Will Pike. Myra Blewett turned a visible shade of red. Of course Will couldn't be interested in tomboyish Chris Ford. Myra fluffed her own blonde hair and did her best to get Will's attention all night, but it was to no avail.  
  
Will rarely took his eyes off Chris the entire night. Leslie had been right about the effect Chris's appearance would have on him. He had seen her as a beautiful young girl for quite a long time, but this was different somehow. She enchanted him in a way she never had before and whatever might have been left of Will Pike's heart was lost that night. It was a beautiful evening for both of them, until Tom Gillis spoiled it.  
  
It happened just a few minutes after midnight. Will and Walter had gone to get everyone's coats. Chris and Leslie sat waiting for them. Chris was rather glad to be going home. She had danced so much her feet were numb with pain. Sitting contentedly to one side, she watched the dancers. Lorelei twirled past her with Eric Daniels, the hired hand on the King farm. Was there a budding romance there? Chris decided to ask Lorelei about it tomorrow. She had told Lorelei about her and Will on Christmas Day and Lorelei had been very excited about the whole thing.  
  
When Chris saw Tom headed her way, she got a little nervous, but the look on his face was friendly enough and, when he greeted her, she relaxed a little.  
  
"Would you care to dance?" he asked, rather offhandedly. Chris hesitated and scanned the room for Will. Oh, there he was. Poor Will. He hadn't even made it to the coatroom yet. Bob Garrett had waylaid him and Walter. Chris stifled a laugh as she thought of what Walter had said about Bob once.  
  
'Ask him what time it is and he'll tell you how to build a clock,' Walter had remarked.  
  
Well, it seemed as if they wouldn't be leaving for a while. To refuse Tom would be insulting him and he was a friend of hers. She nodded silently and let him lead her onto the dance floor, remembering too late how she had disliked the way he held her when they danced at Sara's wedding. Tom whispered to her as they danced.  
  
"You look beautiful, Chris."  
  
"Thank you," came the rather stiff reply.  
  
"Chris, I think I'm in love with you."  
  
Chris brought her head up with a jerk and was startled to see how close Tom's face was to her own. His proximity also allowed her to realize something she hadn't before. Tom had been drinking.  
  
"You really shouldn't say such things, Tom."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Tom, please don't do this. Not right now. Can't we talk later? Maybe without so many people around."  
  
Tom's eyes flashed a little at this statement and he smiled at her.  
  
"That's an excellent idea."  
  
Before Chris knew what was happening, Tom had swept her out of the main room and into the hall. To her consternation, there was no one in the hall.  
  
"Will this do?" he asked, still holding her. Chris began to lose her patience.  
  
"Let go of me, Tom. What's gotten into you?"  
  
She wrestled free of his grip and stepped back, her cheeks crimson and her eyes flashing.  
  
"You know, you look very pretty when you're angry," he said. The remark fueled Chris's temper.  
  
"Leave me alone, Tom Gillis," she said, clearly and distinctly. "You are not behaving as a gentleman should. Now, I am going back in there. Without you."  
  
She moved towards the door but Tom, in a lightning quick move, caught her hand and pulled her back.  
  
"That's not very nice. I pay you a compliment and you try to leave me out here alone."  
  
"You've been drinking, Tom," Chris said in a severe tone that was tinged with concern. "I suggest you let me go before you do something you'll regret."  
  
"I don't suppose you mean this, do you?" he asked before pulling her towards him and kissing her. Chris struggled and had almost pushed herself away when she heard a very familiar voice.  
  
"Gillis! What do you think you're doing?!"  
  
Tom released her immediately and Chris went to Will, who immediately put his arm around her. Walter and Leslie stood behind them. If Tom Gillis hadn't been drinking, he would've recognized the dangerous light in Walter Ford's eyes. Right now, though, his main problem was Will.  
  
"Aw, Will, I was just having a bit of fun."  
  
"Not with Chris you're not," Walter spoke up.  
  
"Well, apparently not. She wouldn't even kiss me back."  
  
This was too much and Chris watched in horror as Will charged Tom. He knocked him to the ground and would've hit him again if Chris hadn't stopped him.  
  
"Will, no! Please. It's Tom. He's just had a little too much to drink. You know he'll feel badly about this tomorrow. Please, Will. Let's go home."  
  
Her voice broke through the cloud of anger that had taken possession of Will and he backed away from Tom, who remained on the floor in shock. He hadn't expected Will to actually hit him.  
  
"Girls, go out to the car," said Walter. Leslie opened her mouth to protest, but one look at Walter's face told her it would be futile. She and Chris left the three young men alone. Well, almost. At this point, there was a bit of a crowd gathered round. Walter walked over to Tom and helped him up.  
  
"Go home, Tom. I hope this is the last time you mess with alcohol. And it better be the last time you mess with my sister."  
  
Tom saw the danger now and he just nodded. Walter turned and followed the girls, but Will remained behind. In the moment he had seen Tom kissing Chris, he had realized how much Chris meant to him. She was his whole world. It was a frightening feeling, but he would deal with it later. Right now, he was having to control this fierce anger that had unleashed itself only moments ago. He walked up to Tom, who flinched when he saw the look in Will's eyes.  
  
"If you ever go near Christine again," he said in a low tone, "Walter Ford will be the least of your worries. Do we understand each other?"  
  
Tom didn't reply. He didn't have a chance to. Will turned and walked out before he could. Lorelei watched him go and exchanged glances with Eric. If there had been any doubts before, there certainly weren't any now. Her brother was in love with her best friend.  
  
A/N: All for now! Hey, I posted two chapters on Thanksgiving Day! What more do you want from me? Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  
  
P.S. Sorry I couldn't address all the reviews on Chapter Eight. I couldn't get to them for some reason. I really appreciate all your reviews though. They keep me going. Please, review again! 


	10. Making Up

A/N: Okay, I'm all set. I have my new Josh Groban cd and my soundtrack to 'Anne of Green Gables'. Music will be my inspiration, hopefully. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Once again, I'm skipping around. Oh, by the way, the likelihood of what is about to happen increases when a woman is older.  
  
Jessy E: Oh, I'm sorry you have a cold. And over the Thanksgiving holidays, too! I hope you feel better now and I'm glad you're enjoying my story.  
  
PhiloNysh: Thank you very much. I appreciate the compliment.  
  
Gufa: Aaaaaaaaa! You caught me again! I heartily apologize for the grammar error. (Are you an English teacher?) Haha. Just kidding. Yeah, I just wanted to have Chris snap and Walter's attitude about war seemed to be the perfect opportunity. Oh, you like pearls? So do I. They're so elegant and simple. Glad you liked the chapters.  
  
EBStarr: I like the word 'shamelessly' too. It's just a great word. Thanks for your review. I've missed you.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: Ah, so you do feel a little sorry for Tom? That's good. That's very good. *Smiles cryptically*  
  
StarlightQween: Welcome aboard and thanks for the review. I hope you'll continue reading.  
  
Anonymous327: I'm afraid action isn't my strong suit (as any one who has read my Mummy fics can attest to), but maybe we'll have a small fight later on. Yes, Fido can be annoying at times. Be patient, my friend. We'll get around to Walter soon enough.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~March 17, 1940  
  
After Christmas, the war in Europe was a constant topic of conversation in Avonlea. Chris found that her only truly safe place was Green Gables. At Shadowbrook, too, discussion of the war was kept to a minimum. Felicity Pike, fearing for her oldest child's safety, had cabled Sara after Christmas, asking her to come home until the worst was over. But Sara had refused. Her husband had enlisted in November and she was staying with his parents in London. The only thing she would promise was that, if the war was still going by the next Christmas, she would come to stay at Shadowbrook.  
  
The Pikes were very worried about Sara and Chris found that she was the main source of comfort for both Will and Lorelei. It wasn't uncommon for both of them to come to Green Gables in the evening. Sometimes, Lorelei would even stay overnight. In a way, this was a good thing. It gave Will a chance to pursue his relationship with Chris openly. Neither Ken nor Rilla had been especially thrilled when they had found out that their daughter had been conducting a secret romance. They both loved Will, but they had made it clear that there was to be no more sneaking around.  
  
Chris was getting rather worried about her mother. She tired so easily these past few months and Chris wasn't used to seeing her energetic mother run out of steam. The children did everything they could to help with the housework. Walter even tried his hand at the laundry once but, after ruining Leslie's best Sunday dress, he had been banned from any domestic work outside of the kitchen. Things in the house were soon running smoothly. Leslie and Chris split the cooking, laundry and general cleaning of other rooms. Walter and Matthew kept the kitchen clean, helped their father at the newspaper office, and kept up any repairs that needed to be done. To everyone's surprise, Matthew displayed a gift for cooking and so began to help his sisters with that chore as well. Green Gables ran like clockwork and folks in Avonlea said that those Ford children were shaping up quite nicely.  
  
In the early morning of March 17, however, Green Gables went into chaos. Walter was sent to fetch Aunt Di and Dr. Andrews. Matthew was packed off with him, under orders to stay the rest of the night at Orchard Slope. Chris refused to go and Ken was too harried to argue with her. She stayed, along with Leslie, and both Aunt Di and Dr. Andrews said later that they were a great help.  
  
As the sun was setting that day, Rilla Ford lay in her bed, white and pale, but looking supremely happy as she cuddled two little bundles. Ken looked just as pale, though the cause in this case was shock. What were the odds of two sets of twins in one family? Dr. Andrews seemed pleased, Aunt Di and Leslie were crying, and Chris was on the phone, fuming. She hadn't had a chance to see her brother and sister yet. Why did she have to call everyone?  
  
After Orchard Slope, Shadowbrook, and Ingleside had been notified, Chris bounded up the stairs. She began to tip toe as she neared her mother's room and knocked softly. Father opened the door and, smiling, ushered Chris to the bed.  
  
Chris looked down in amazement at the two tiny beings in her mother's arms. Rilla smiled up at her daughter.  
  
"Would you like to hold one of them?" she asked. Chris's eyes grew round. What if she dropped one? But Leslie stepped forward and said she would like to. The baby boy was handed over to her and, after Chris watched Leslie for a while, she decided that she could do it too. Father handed her the little girl and Chris took her sister gingerly. She ran her hand along the little cheek and the little fingers. Had she ever been this tiny?  
  
"What are their names?" Aunt Di was asking. Chris took her attention away from the baby for a moment to hear her mother's response. Mother looked at Father and then smiled again.  
  
"I'd like you all to meet Bryan Kenneth Ford and Persis Kathleen Ford."  
  
Chris cried when she heard this. She missed her Aunt Persis and Uncle Bryan terribly. Uncle Bryan had been killed ten years ago in a car accident in Montreal. He had been such a jolly uncle and Chris had loved him very much. Aunt Persis and her two boys, Marcus and Joel, had come to stay at Green Gables for a while before finally moving into Grandmother's old House of Dreams. Then, six years ago, Aunt Persis had met Joshua Franklin. He was a very nice man and everyone liked him, even Marc and Joel. He and Aunt Persis had fallen in love and married. But Uncle Josh lived in Australia and so Chris had to say goodbye to her aunt and cousins. They had seen each other only once since then. And Chris still hadn't met her new cousin, Julie.  
  
"Hello, little Persis," she cooed to the baby in her arms. Oh, life was going to be exciting with two little babies at Green Gables.  
  
**********************************April of 1940  
  
Life was exciting alright, but Chris found out firsthand that babies required much more work than she had thought. For the first couple of weeks, no one at Green Gables slept through the night because the babies never slept through the night. Eventually, Walter, Leslie, Chris, and Matthew were able to sleep through the cries and screams of their baby brother and sister. Mother and Father, being in the same room as the babies, had no such luck.  
  
There was always a ton of laundry and mending to be done. Mother generally tended to the mending while Chris and Leslie took turns with the laundry, switching it off with cooking. By now, Chris was a consummate cook and even Matthew, an aspiring food critic, couldn't find fault with her meals.  
  
Letters from Joseph were an event at Green Gables and, when one was received, Leslie read them aloud at the dinner table. They were pure Joseph, full of lighthearted talk and playful remarks. No mention of battles was made, though he always told them he was doing alright. He couldn't reveal his location of course, but they all knew he wasn't near the front yet. No one asked Leslie what was in the slightly thicker envelope that would arrive from Joseph occasionally and she didn't volunteer any information.  
  
All in all, Chris was almost perfectly happy. If Joseph had been home, she would have been perfectly happy. Walter seemed to have forgotten all about this war nonsense, she and Will had settled into what seemed to be a new stage in their romance, and the twins were a constant source of delight.  
  
One day, as she was returning from a visit to Orchard Slope, Chris saw Tom Gillis headed towards her. She noted with a sinking heart as he neared her that he was in khaki. Well, what did she expect? Tom had turned eighteen a week ago. He approached her rather hesitantly and there was an awkward silence. They had avoided each other since the incident at the dance. Chris began to speak, but Tom immediately cut her off.  
  
"I've come to apologize to you, Chris. I behaved horribly the night of the dance and I really deserved more than what Will gave me. Can you forgive me?"  
  
Chris looked at him and, instead of the drunken young man who had kissed her against her will, she saw the boy who had once been one of her best friends. Together, they had wreaked all sorts of havoc on the quiet little hamlet of Avonlea. Tom had taught her how to throw a ball faster than any one else and he had showed her the 'best climbing tree on P.E.I.'. She saw the boy who used to pull pranks on the teacher with Walter and Will. Blushing, she recalled that Tom had given her her first kiss almost nine years ago in the Avonlea schoolyard. Of course, it hadn't been anything like the way Will kissed her, but it was a sweet memory.  
  
She said nothing for a moment and Tom was beginning to think that she wouldn't forgive him. He began to turn away, but was startled when she suddenly stepped towards him and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"You're forgiven, Tom, and it's all forgotten now."  
  
Tom smiled at Chris, controlling the urge to kiss her again. She looked so pretty in that grey coat with that grey hat on top of her dark curls. But she was Will's girl. For Tom, who hadn't touched alcohol since that horrible night, the fact that she was in love with someone who had, once upon a time, been one of his best friends, meant that she was off limits. At least now, though, he had her friendship again.  
  
"Will you walk me the rest of the way?" she asked. Tom nodded and they set off for Green Gables. Chris hesitated to ask the question that she had asked so many others, but she knew it had to be done.  
  
"When do you leave, Tom?"  
  
"In two days. I wanted to make things right with you before I left. I want to make things right with Walter and Will, too. Do you think they'll be as forgiving as you have been?"  
  
"Tom, we've all been friends for so long. I doubt that they will have trouble forgiving you," Chris said reassuringly. In her heart, though, she did have a tiny doubt about Will. She had never seen him so angry. But surely, under the circumstances, he would be able to put it behind him as well.  
  
"I hope you're right," Tom replied. He hated to think of leaving when he was on bad terms with two of the best friends he'd ever had.  
  
They continued to talk of less important matters until they reached the gate of Green Gables. Chris turned and faced Tom.  
  
"Would you mind if I wrote to you, Chris?" he asked.  
  
"Of course not. And I'll write to you as well. I promise I'll write everyday."  
  
"That would be wonderful. You'll fill me in on all the Avonlea news, won't you?"  
  
"Every little juicy tidbit."  
  
"Thank you. You're a wonderful girl, Chris. Not every girl would be able to forgive me for what I did."  
  
"Tom, I told you that's forgotten. You better not mention it again. We're friends now and that's what matters, right?"  
  
"Yes, of course. We're friends now."  
  
"Well, I've got to go in. It's my night to cook supper. You will come by again before you leave, won't you, Tom?"  
  
"If you want me to, yes."  
  
"Good. I want to be able to say goodbye to you properly. We'll talk more then, okay? Goodbye, Tom."  
  
And then she was gone. Tom stood there at the gate for a moment, watching the windows. He was surprised when Chris suddenly appeared in one. She saw him and waved, smiling. He smiled and waved back. No, he wouldn't come see her before he left. She would cry when she said goodbye that time, he was sure of it. He wanted to remember her the way she was right now. He watched as she turned away from the window and his smile faded.  
  
"I'll always love you, Christine," he said softly. Then he headed towards his own house, unaware that Rilla had been watching him from a second story window.  
  
"Poor Tom," she whispered as he walked away. "Poor, poor Tom."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: I'm sorry about the twin thing. I was having the worst time trying to decide whether Rilla should have a boy or a girl, so I just compromised. Fair enough, right? 


	11. A Battle on the Homefront

A/N: Here I am again. Two chapters at a time. Now if only the characters in my 'Pat' fic would be this cooperative. Come to think of it, none of the characters in my other fics are this cooperative. Does that mean anything? Oh, well. Never mind.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~April 22, 1940  
  
The day began beautifully for Chris, who was under strict orders from her mother to 'do nothing but have fun'. Tom had left a week ago without saying goodbye and Chris still felt the sting of it, despite the fact that he had sent her a letter explaining his decision. She moped a bit during breakfast but, when Will appeared with a bouquet of early wildflowers, her mood brightened considerably. They took a short walk down Lover's Lane before he left to help on his grandfather's farm.  
  
Lorelei appeared just a short while later and the two girls indulged in a good, long gabfest. Just as Chris had suspected, Lorelei and Eric Daniels were rapidly becoming an 'item'. She was glad. Eric was a nice boy and he seemed to care for Lorelei very much. Chris was extremely protective of her best friend and the fact that Eric met with her approval said a lot for him.  
  
Chris and Lorelei decided that three was company and so headed over to Orchard Slope and collected Emily before having a picnic at the Lake of Shining Waters. Cecily wasn't able to come. She was in bed with the remnants of a cold and her mother wouldn't let her go outside. Chris thought this was rather extreme, but she didn't know that Felicity Pike feared her youngest daughter would take after her namesake in more ways than one.  
  
They ended up the day in the Haunted Wood, safe from prying eyes and ears. Emily, whose family had just returned from a visit to Ingleside, was full of information about the folks in Glen St. Mary. It seemed Cupid was busy with Emily as well because every other sentence she spoke contained the name Bradley Douglas. Bradley was the only son of Miller and Mary Douglas and, from the things Emily said, it looked as if he liked her just as much as she liked him.  
  
Of course, thought Chris, no boy really stood a chance against Emily. She was developing into quite a beautiful girl. Over the winter, she had taken a growth spurt and now stood only a couple of inches shorter than Chris. Due to her sudden stature, Emily had also slimmed down considerably and was no longer as roly-poly as she had once been. But she still had the same playful spirit that endeared her to her friends.  
  
"I wish you two could meet Bradley. He's just so wonderful."  
  
"I've met him several times and I never saw anything so wonderful about him. Neither did you," Chris said, her eyes dancing. She found it very funny that the same boy Emily had declared a violent hatred for only two years ago could suddenly be Prince Charming.  
  
"That was before," sniffed Emily, as if those three words explained everything. Chris and Lorelei exchanged glances.  
  
"Before what?" Lorelei inquired.  
  
"Before last week, silly. Oh, girls, it was so romantic. He told me my hair was like the setting sun and my eyes were like emeralds."  
  
It seemed to Chris that Bradley didn't have any more imagination now than he had possessed when she had seen him last. Emily's eyes were like emeralds and her hair was just red as Aunt Di's. Any of Chris's aunts and uncles or her parents could've clarified that Bradley, being the child of Miller Douglas and Mary Vance, would not be given to wild flights of poetry and that, if he had tried to be poetic, he would've failed miserably.  
  
"So I suppose you two will be getting married someday?" Chris asked before she could stop herself. Emily simply smiled.  
  
"Of course. And we'll live in Glen St. Mary. Oh, I do hate to leave Avonlea, but Bradley insists. Besides, as the only son, he says it's his duty to keep up the store. We've decided to take our honeymoon at Niagara Falls and the wedding will be here in Avonlea. I'm to wear Grandmother Wright's wedding dress and veil. You two and Cecily will be bridesmaids and you'll be dressed in pink satin. I'll carry white roses and the three of you will carry pink and white bouquets and have pink and white wreaths in your hair. I'm not sure about a flower girl, though. Do you have any ideas?"  
  
Chris and Lorelei stared at Emily, dumbfounded. Clearly, she had given this a lot of thought and, even more disturbing, she and Bradley had discussed it. Lorelei was the first to recover her power of speech.  
  
"Emily, you're not engaged are you? Why, you're only fifteen years old!"  
  
"Well, it's not exactly official yet, but we did talk about it a lot. We'll be married after Bradley turns eighteen. That's when his father will give him an equal share in the store."  
  
Chris did some quick math in her head and looked at her cousin in astonishment.  
  
"But he's seventeen now! He'll be eighteen next January. You won't even be sixteen until March."  
  
"Oh, I know. That's why we'll wait until May."  
  
"Do Aunt Di and Uncle Jack know about this?" Chris asked. Emily faltered a bit.  
  
"Well, not exactly. But we plan to tell them."  
  
"Tell them? Emily, be serious. Your parents will never allow this. You're far too young to think of marriage. Uncle Jack would keep you under lock and key if he knew how serious you are about all this. And I don't even want to know what he might do to Bradley for putting these ideas in your head."  
  
"Don't be so high and mighty, Miss Ford," Emily said icily. She hated being told what to do and Chris, it seemed to her, was always bossing her around. "You're only a year older than I am and you and Will are practically engaged."  
  
"That's not true. We haven't even talked about getting engaged. Will is far too smart to think that my parents or his would approve of it. We're too young."  
  
"Are you saying Bradley is dumb?"  
  
"Unless he has gained some intelligence since I saw him last. He never was very bright."  
  
Emily, her eyes flashing, stepped closer to Chris, prompting Lorelei, the peacemaker, to step between her two friends.  
  
"Now girls, I think that's enough. Why don't we all go home before one of us says something we'll regret."  
  
But both her friends, having inherited their grandmother's legendary temper, were too far gone to listen to reason.  
  
"I'm tempted to tell Aunt Di and Uncle Jack about this whole thing, Emily Rose Wright. Maybe they'd be able to talk some sense into you."  
  
"Oh, so you're the only one in the family allowed to have secret romances. Is that it, Chris? Well, at least I'm not running around at night, sneaking out to meet Bradley. Alone."  
  
Lorelei gasped and Chris's face flushed with anger at the implications of Emily's remark. Even Emily knew she had crossed a line and was already regretting her words. Especially when she saw the look of pain that had briefly shown itself in Chris's eyes.  
  
"How dare you," whispered Chris in a trembling voice. Emily was shocked to see that her cousin was on the verge of tears.  
  
"How dare you," Chris repeated, louder this time. "I never want to speak to you again, Emily. From here on out, you stay away from me."  
  
She turned and fled through the trees, leaving Emily and Lorelei alone. Neither of them bothered to call after her. Both knew it would be useless. They also knew that she meant what she had said.  
  
"Oh, Emily, how could you? How could you say such a thing about Chris? How could you say such a thing about my brother?"  
  
Lorelei walked away without another word and Emily was left by herself.  
  
**************************************  
  
Chris ran all the way to Green Gables and managed to sneak in and up to her room. Thankfully, Leslie wasn't home and so Chris didn't have to worry about her walking in any second. She didn't want to talk to any one right now.  
  
How had this happened? The day had started so beautifully and now it was all ruined. How could two people who loved each other as much as she and Emily say such awful things? They had never said such hurtful things to one another before. Chris buried her head in her pillow, trying to stifle her sobs so that Mother wouldn't hear. She wished the tears would stop coming.  
  
But the tears didn't stop. In fact, they were coming faster by the minute. Chris lay there for nearly half an hour, crying, until she heard a knock.  
  
"Please go away," Chris said softly. But the visitor didn't listen. The door opened and Chris heard footsteps coming into the room, then felt someone sit down on her bed. A hand touched the top of her head and Chris instantly flew into her mother's arms.  
  
"Oh, Mother, it was so awful," she sobbed. Mother simply held her and stroked her head for a while before speaking.  
  
"Your Aunt Di just called. Emily is very upset over some of the things she said to you."  
  
"Well she should be."  
  
"Chris, darling, why don't we go over to Orchard Slope? You and Emily can talk."  
  
"I don't want to talk to her. I don't want to have anything to do with her anymore. Didn't Aunt Di tell you what she said?"  
  
"Yes, she did," Rilla replied, recalling her conversation with her sister. Di had been furious with her daughter. Not only for the remarks she made towards Chris, but also for conducting such a serious romance at her age. Still, Rilla had to admire Emily for going and confessing everything on her own.  
  
"Are people talking about Will and I meeting at night, Mother?"  
  
"I won't lie to you, Chris. They did talk about it at first. Idle, evil gossip of course. No one really believed it. And no one talks about it now. It's all forgotten."  
  
"I'll never speak to Emily again."  
  
"Don't say that, darling. I know it hurts that she would say such a thing about you, but don't say that."  
  
"That's just it, Mother. It does hurt that she said that about me. But it's the strangest thing. Somehow, it hurts more that she said it about Will. Does that make any sense?"  
  
There didn't seem to be any way to answer this without opening up a whole new conversation and so Rilla changed the subject.  
  
"Wash your face, dear, and get ready for supper. Your little brother is downstairs right now cooking a fine meal. It should be ready in just a few minutes."  
  
Chris sat for a while after Mother left, perplexed by her sudden exit. She had a few tears left to cry, it seemed, and she didn't deny them. When they were spent, she washed her face and changed into a nicer dress before heading downstairs.  
  
Everyone was down there waiting, except for Walter. He had gone into Charlottetown on an errand for Gus Pike and wasn't expected back until after supper, so no one was really worried. Chris's spirits rose some as the meal progressed. Father was full of jokes that evening and Chris loved Father's jokes. Just as he finished telling one particularly funny one, the kitchen door opened and Walter entered. The room grew deathly quiet.  
  
Walter was wearing a very blue uniform. Chris looked at him in disbelief and then looked at her family. Matthew's eyes shone with hero worship and Chris quickly looked away from him. Father looked accepting, Mother and Leslie had both grown rather pale, but were trying hard to look proud. Chris grew angry. Well, maybe they were all ready to accept this and pretend to support him, but she certainly wasn't. She flung an angry look towards her brother before leaving the table and heading back upstairs.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: All for now! Next chapter: Will Emily and Chris reconcile? Will Chris accept Walter's enlisting? You'll have to review if you want to find out. I won't write another chapter unless I get at least eight reviews. Why eight? I don't know. Why not?  
  
Seriously, please review. That little button in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen is a wonderful little gadget. 


	12. Family Tree

Per a reviewer's request, I am publishing a little summary of all the Ingleside children and their offspring. I must admit, even I was getting a bit confused. I'll start with the inhabitants of Avonlea, since they play the biggest part of the story.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
AVONLEA  
  
Rilla Blythe and Ken Ford: Married 1920  
  
Children: Walter and Leslie, born February, 1922. Christine, born October, 1923. Matthew, born June, 1926. Bryan and Persis (Kathleen), born March 1940.  
  
Diana Blythe and Jack Wright: Married 1922  
  
Children: Robert, born January, 1924. Emily, born March, 1925.  
  
Felicity King and Gus Pike: Married 1914  
  
Children: Sara, born November 1919. Will, born December, 1922. Lorelei, born January, 1924. Cecily, born July, 1926.  
  
THE REST OF THE INGLESIDE CLAN  
  
Jem Blythe and Faith Meredith: Married 1922  
  
Children: Cecelia, born 1924. John, born 1927. James, born 1931.  
  
Nan Blythe and Jerry Meredith: Married 1921  
  
Children: Cordelia, born 1923. Rosemary, born 1927. Bertha, born 1929. Anne, born 1932.  
  
Shirley Blythe and Aurelie Gerard: Married 1921  
  
Children: Alexandre (Alex), born 1923. Susan, born 1925. Gabriella, born 1929. Gilbert, born 1931. Elise, born 1934.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I wish I had the technological know-how to actually post a 'chart', but I'm afraid that I am sadly lacking in that area of knowledge. Hopefully, this little post will clear things up a little more. You'll meet more of Anne's grandchildren later. (In the story, I mean.) 


	13. A Visit with the Pikes

A/N: Whew! That family tree thing was kind of fun. (My favorite part of writing is thinking up names for my characters). Anyway, on with the story.  
  
Gufa: Yep. Twins again. I couldn't resist, mate. You say you're an Italian University student? Wow. I'm the one that's humble. Are you originally from Europe? Just curious. Thanks for catching all my mistakes. I really do appreciate it. BTW, I must confess. I haven't read ROI for quite a long time and so I didn't remember Miller Douglas' injury. You're right, of course, and I have adjusted the chapter accordingly. Thanks again for your help.  
  
Ruby: 'ello, poppet. Tom will be a very important figure in the story later on, though maybe not in the way you might think. I can't give you any info about Walter, because that wouldn't be any fun. But I'll try not to turn this story into some sort of Greek tragedy.  
  
Anonymous327: Obviously, I took your advice on doing a 'sort of' family tree. Like I said before, even I was starting to have trouble keeping up with everyone. If you're still confused, please let me know and I'll do my best to revise it and make it a bit more understandable. Savvy?  
  
Marzoog: You're absolutely right about Emily, but she does feel very badly about what she said. She and Chris will have their moment of reconciliation later on. Lorelei and Eric is another thing that will be discussed in future chapters. I'm glad to see your reviews again.  
  
Jessy E: Oh, I love, love, love long reviews like that. Thanks a lot. I'm glad you're all better now. Snippy is a good word and I'll try to work it in somewhere. Confused, are you? I'll try to straighten it out all by me onesy. When Emily was talking about Chris and Will's secret romance, she was referring to it in the past tense. It isn't a secret anymore, but everyone knows that it was a secret for a while. As for Tom, here's the story. He didn't want to say good bye in person because he wanted to remember Chris just as she was at that moment. (Have you ever seen Gone with the Wind? If you have, try to remember the scene where Ashley is going back to war and he's saying goodbye to Scarlett. If you haven't, then ignore my last statement.) If Tom had come to say a 'proper' goodbye, Chris probably would've cried a little and he didn't want that to be his 'parting look' at her. Walter will be getting a true love soon enough. Be patient. And Matthew will be getting into a scrape of his own in the next couple of chapters. Wow, long reviews trigger long replies, don't they? Oh well.  
  
On with the story!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~April 23, 1940  
  
The sun shone brightly that morning, but Chris was in no mood to admire nature. She ate breakfast early with Father, who wisely remained silent regarding Walter, and then left the house before her brother was even awake. She wandered aimlessly for a while, not really having anywhere to turn. She wanted to be with Will desperately, but he had told her yesterday that he was leaving early this morning for a short stay with his Uncle Felix in Halifax and wouldn't be back for three days.  
  
What about Lorelei? Admittedly, Chris felt a bit awkward about seeing her after that horrible fight yesterday, but it wasn't as if she and Lorelei had been the ones arguing. Chris quickened her steps and headed for Shadowbrook. She arrived to find Gus Pike sitting on the front porch, smoking a pipe. He smiled at her as she walked up the steps.  
  
"If you're here to see Lorelei, Miss Christine, she isn't here. She decided all of a sudden last night to go with Will to see Felix."  
  
"She did? But she didn't even say goodbye."  
  
"Aye, that is unlike her. But she seemed very upset about somethin'. I don't suppose you'd be knowin' what it is, would you?"  
  
Chris quickly told Gus all about the events of the day before. Gus was a very easy person to open up to and she felt that she could tell him anything. In truth, Gus Pike got a little more than he bargained for in answer to his question. He was used to it, though. Hadn't it been this way since the day he arrived in Avonlea? Everyone always confided in Gus.  
  
"I just don't understand why Walter thinks he has to go off to war. Where's the glory in killing people? What's so wonderful about the whole thing? And why is the rest of my family so willing to let him go?"  
  
Gus frowned a bit, remembering a similar conversation with Felicity when Felix had gone to fight in The Great War. Felix had possessed the same attitude that young Walter obviously did. It had been difficult to get Felicity to understand why Felix thought the way he did. Gus doubted that it would be any easier to get Chris to understand, but he would try. The boy couldn't go off to war without knowing that his sister supported him.  
  
"War is a terrible thing, Chris, and I'll not deny that. It's something that I had hoped my children would escape. Felicity felt the same way you do when Felix enlisted in The Great War. As for me, well, I was jealous."  
  
"Jealous? Why?"  
  
"Because I couldn't go myself. You know, of course, about my eyes. When The Great War began, I still couldn't see very well. The army wouldn't take me, the navy wouldn't take me. I felt useless, Chris."  
  
"But you helped in Halifax. You helped the War Department in the telegraph office."  
  
"Yes, I helped. It was the only way I could help. But I was never in any danger, never risked my life. I never told anyone this, Chris, not even Felicity. I'm tellin' you now because I think it may help you understand your brother a little. You see, it's a privilege to fight for your country. These boys are not just going for glory, although that's what several of them are thinking about when they enlist. But I know your brother. He's not doin' this for glory and, believe me, he doesn't think this is going to be a lark like so many of the others do. Walter thinks of this as both a duty and a privilege. To him, he's not just fightin' for his country, he's fightin' for you. For your mother and father. For Leslie, Matthew, and those babies. There's a great evil over there, Chris. A greater evil than you realize, I think. If it isn't stopped, we could all fall victim to it. That's why he's going."  
  
There was silence for a while on the front porch of Shadowbrook. Chris walked to the railing, and stared into space, mulling over everything she had just heard and fighting a battle within herself. Gus watched her as he calmly puffed on his pipe, knowing that something he said must've gotten through to her. He'd never seen Chris be so quiet before.  
  
As she gazed at nothing in particular, Chris found that she was suddenly very curious. What great evil was Mr. Pike talking about? Did he mean Hitler? To her shame, Chris realized she had been so determined to avoid talking about the war that she was terribly ignorant of the events surrounding it. Joseph, Danny Sloane, Tom Gillis, and several others she knew were fighting in this war and she knew practically nothing about the war itself. She felt guilty all of a sudden, as if she were being disloyal to them.  
  
"It's a lot to think about, isn't it?" Gus asked her. Chris turned and faced him, searching for the right words to say.  
  
"Am I a bad person?"  
  
"No, Chris. I've known you nearly all your life and I don't think you're capable of being a bad person. What you are is a young woman who hates war and hates seeing her friends and family go off to fight in a war. There's nothing wrong with that. There isn't a person in this country who wants their sons or husbands or sweethearts or fathers to go off to war. In spite of all the swaggering done by the soldiers and the proud smiles on the faces of those they're leaving behind, no one wants it. It's all an act. A front put up to boost the morale of those going over there. And, I must admit, it's very effective."  
  
"That's why Mother didn't protest last night. She wanted to 'send him off with a smile' as the saying goes."  
  
"Your mother is a brave woman, Chris. She sent three brothers, a sweetheart, and countless friends off 'with a smile' and some of them never came home. For her to be able to do the same with her son is a testament to her spirit."  
  
The tears fell freely now as Chris unashamedly sat down at Gus Pike's feet, just as she used to do as a child when he would tell tales of being a sailor.  
  
"What if Walter goes over there and never comes back? What if Joseph never comes back?"  
  
"First of all, Chris Ford, you shouldn't talk like that."  
  
Chris looked up to see Felicity Pike come out onto the porch and sit down in the chair next to her husband. Felicity reached down and took Chris's hand in hers before continuing.  
  
"Never talk like that, Chris. If you lose hope, if you lose faith, then you've lost everything. You can't send Walter off with an attitude like that. He'll sense it. He needs all your love and support, Chris. It's your love, the love of his family, that will carry him through this. There's a lot of wisdom behind that saying of sending them off with a smile."  
  
"But it's so hard," Chris protested, unwilling to let Walter go. "Why should we have to seem happy about the whole thing?"  
  
"If you calm down, dear, you'll see that happiness is not the requirement. Do you think Walter is happy about doing this?"  
  
"He seems to be," came the defiant reply. Gus hid a smile behind his pipe as his wife shot him a look before turning her attention back to Chris.  
  
"Well, he's not. Walter was over here last night to say goodbye to Will and we all had a long talk. Apparently, something you said to him a few months ago changed his attitude about war. I'd say it changed it for the better. He won't go over there as a naïve, puffed up soldier. I'm not sure what you said, but it's made him quite a bit more serious about the whole thing. And he looks at this as both an obligation and a privilege."  
  
So what she said to him that morning had gotten through. Somehow, that made her feel better. At least he didn't think war was a game anymore. She started to wipe the tears off her face and Gus handed her a handkerchief.  
  
"Here," he said. "You're as bad as Felicity about never having a handkerchief when you need one."  
  
Chris took the handkerchief meekly while Felicity gave her husband a black look. He grinned and winked at her and she blushed furiously. Oh, that man drove her crazy! She took the handkerchief back from Chris when the girl's face was no longer streaked with tears and then helped her stand up.  
  
"Now, Christine Anne, I suggest you get back home and talk to your brother. He needs you now, more than ever."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Chris replied. She set off down the lane towards Green Gables. Felicity stood at the gate and watched her. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she jumped when Gus came up behind her and put his arms around her waist.  
  
"She's so young, Gus. They're all so young to have to go through this."  
  
"There's nothin' we can do about it, Felicity. We can't protect them forever. Apparently, we can't even keep our youngest daughter in bed."  
  
Felicity turned to see Cecily coming out the front door. She went to her immediately and ushered her back inside and up to her room. Cecily wasn't well enough for her liking just yet. Gus smiled as he watched them and then sighed as he thought of Chris. He would do well to take his own advice. If things kept going the way they were now, Walter Ford wouldn't be the last boy Chris would have to say goodbye to.  
  
************************************************  
  
Chris practically ran back to Green Gables. She had to find Walter. She had to apologize to him. From now on, she would be the most supportive sister in the world. Chris didn't understand the reason for this war now anymore than she had before. But she did understand that her brother needed her and, if he needed her, then she would be there for him.  
  
Walter wasn't at home and so Chris prowled around for him. It took her quite a while, but she finally found him at the Lake of Shining Waters. He was sitting on the grass, looking very relaxed as he stared out at the water. Chris approached him hesitantly.  
  
"Walter?"  
  
He turned his head and looked at her but said nothing. Chris sat down next to him, oblivious to the grass stains that were sure to get on her brand new dress.  
  
"Walter, I'm so sorry. I really am. I wanted to let you know that I love you. I can't say that I'm happy to send you off."  
  
"I can't say that I'm happy to go," interjected Walter, cutting her off. She met his eyes, but saw no trace of anger or hurt in them.  
  
"I know you're not, Walter. I, um, went by Shadowbrook earlier."  
  
"So that's where you were."  
  
"Yes. I had a talk with Mr. and Mrs. Pike. They helped me understand a few things that I didn't understand before. I realize that you need me to, for lack of a better word, support you."  
  
"Well, that's a bit of an understatement. Do you have any idea how hard it would've been for me to leave if you were mad at me? It would make it ten times harder than it already is. You're not mad at me anymore, are you?"  
  
"No. No, Walter, I'm not. I wish you didn't have to go, but I'm not angry with you. In fact, I think I'm actually a little proud of you."  
  
Walter gave Chris a crooked smile and she fought back tears as the horrible, unwanted thought crossed her mind that she might not ever see him smile like that again. No, she mustn't think like that. She had to have faith, like Mrs. Pike had said.  
  
"It helps a little to hear you say that, Chris. Now, do we have a deal that you'll be 'sending me off with a smile'?"  
  
"We have a deal," Chris replied, holding out her hand. Walter stood up and took it, pulling her up off the ground. It was then that Chris noticed just how close to the water they were. Walter saw the mischievous look on her face too late. Using all the strength she had, Chris yanked on Walter's hand and, although he tried to keep his balance, he fell straight into the water. Chris erupted into laughter as his head popped up above the surface.  
  
"You just wait until I get my hands on you," Walter growled as he started to climb out of the water. He came towards her with an evil grin on his face. Chris shrieked, then turned and ran as fast as she could towards Green Gables. He caught her at the front gate and enveloped her in a big, wet, bear hug. Rilla and Leslie, hearing alternating shrieks and fits of laughter, raced to the front door and both smiled as they realized that things between Walter and Chris were back to normal.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
A/N: All for this chappie. By the way, if the strange talk in my replies to the reviews got on your nerves, I apologize. I just bought the dvd of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and have become quite obsessed with it. I'm sure the obsession will only last until I get to see 'Return of the King' at the movies.  
  
For those of you not familiar with the 'Avonlea' tv series, Gus Pike was a very, very young sailor who came to Avonlea. He was also Scottish (I have a weakness for guys with accents). He and Felicity fell in love after a few years and he went off to 'seek his fortune', but they received word that his ship went down and there were no survivors. Then, a couple of years later, Felicity found him in some little port, but he was blind. She brought him back home and he had surgery on his eyes. He didn't regain his eyesight right away but on the dvd 'An Avonlea Christmas', which was set during World War I, it was explained that his eyes were good enough for him to help the war department in Halifax. Okay, that's all I think I can explain. Please review! Love, love, love those reviews! 


	14. Saying Goodbye

Disclaimer: It's been a while, so I figure that, unless I want a lawsuit (as if any one would sue me over this drivel that I write), I better go back over some of my earlier statements. I do not now, nor will I ever, own anything pertaining to the works of L.M. Montgomery or, since I've got some characters from the show, Kevin Sullivan Productions and Disney.  
  
A/N: This is Walter's farewell chapter, but I'm not going to draw it out. If I draw it out, I'll just paint myself into a corner. So, I'll write a simple goodbye and go on with the story.  
  
Stephanie: I'm sorry I didn't get you on the last chapter. I had just posted it when your review and faerie5's review popped up in my inbox. I'm glad you like my story so much. I didn't necessarily want Walter to leave, but I figured it's what any red-blooded Canadian boy would have done. And he did wait until after Rilla had the twins. I hope you like these new chapters, too.  
  
Faerie5: I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I love the way you spell 'faerie'. So much more poetic than 'fairy'. As we all know, the spelling of a word (or a name) is very important. Anyway, I wanted to apologize to you as well. Like I said before, I'd already posted my chapter when your review popped up. You're right about the conflicts. Not everyone gets along all the time and the fight between Emily and Chris will be important later on.  
  
PhiloNysh: Glad you enjoyed it!  
  
Gufa: One of the Ingleside grandchildren had to be named after Susan, and it only made sense to me that it would be Shirley's daughter. As for Robert and Emily, well, I have a confession to make. I got so tired of trying to recycle family names that I just made those up. I'm afraid they have no L.M. Montgomery history, but how's this? Robert is named for a close friend of Jack's who saved his life in World War I. And Emily is named for Di's favorite authoress (Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.) I'm glad you like Gus. I had a huge crush on him when the show was on. Like I said, I have a weakness for guys with accents. So you've lived in Pisa for 10 years? That is unbelievably cool! If I ever, ever, ever get out to Europe (like I've been planning for the past fifteen years or so), I'll be sure to let you know.  
  
Anonymous327: Glad the family tree clarified things for you a bit. And thanks for liking Gus. I realize a lot of people are kind of against Gus because he wasn't in 'The Story Girl'.  
  
Just Me: Hello again! I haven't decided the fate of all the boys going overseas, but I promise there will not be a massacre. You're a foreigner? May I ask where you're from? (I love hearing from people who live in places I've never been to.)  
  
P.S.A/N: By the way, if anyone knows how I can get my hands on a list of rankings for Canadian military personnel, I would really appreciate it. And I can't seem to find any clear information on the Canadian army, either. Any suggestions?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~April 25, 1940  
  
It seemed strange to Chris that the day of Walter's departure should be so bright and sunny. Shouldn't it be just a little dismal? Didn't the world know that her brother was going away to war? As she thought about it, though, she realized it was probably better to send Walter off in the sunshine than it would've been to send him off in the fog or the rain.  
  
Everyone was silent at breakfast. No one really knew what to say. Rilla glanced at her son from time to time and wondered wistfully how her little boy with the tousled black hair could be the same tall young man sitting next to her right now. Dressed in his rich blue RCAF uniform, Walter made quite an impressive picture. He was the first in Avonlea to join the Air Force and his uniform had caused a bit of a stir. Several young ladies had gazed admiringly at him in the past few days, but he paid no attention to them. Walter, for some reason, hadn't been as much of a 'ladies man' since New Year's.  
  
After breakfast, everyone got ready to go into town and see Walter off. The train station was full of others who had come to say goodbye to Walter Ford. The Wrights were there, of course, and Chris managed to be coolly civil to Emily, who was just as coolly civil in return. The Pikes, minus Will and Lorelei, had come as well. What on earth was Myra Blewett doing there? And she was crying, too! Chris rolled her eyes and did her best to keep Walter away from Myra.  
  
At some point in the frenzy, Walter managed to pull Chris aside. He fidgeted a bit, making Chris nervous. Finally, she could contain herself no longer.  
  
"For heaven's sake, Walter, if you have something to say, then say it!"  
  
Frustration showed on his face, but it was quickly replaced by his trademark grin.  
  
"Take care of the family while I'm gone, Chris. Leslie and Mother, especially. This is so hard on both of them."  
  
"It's hard on me, too, Walter. And those two are quite a bit tougher than you might think. But I'll take care of them. I promise."  
  
"I'll miss you, Chris. Promise not to grow up too much while I'm gone."  
  
"Not sure how well I'll be able to keep that promise, Walter, but I'll do my best."  
  
Walter hesitated and Chris sensed that something was weighing heavily on his mind.  
  
"Could you do me one more favor, Chris?"  
  
"Anything you want."  
  
"Could you say goodbye to Lorelei for me? I didn't know she'd be leaving with Will and I, well, I never got the chance to tell her goodbye. I-"  
  
He stopped and looked off into the distance, giving Chris the chance to process what she'd just heard. She managed to keep her mouth from falling open, but she couldn't quite keep it shut.  
  
"Walter Ford! What are you saying? Walter, are you?"  
  
One look from him cut her off. Well, this explained the change of heart towards other girls in Avonlea. Chris was speechless.  
  
"You don't say a word, Christine Ford. Not a word. Just tell her I said goodbye. There's no sense in confusing her with a lot of feelings that are probably just temporary. She's with Eric and he's a great guy. Just promise me you'll tell her I said goodbye."  
  
"I promise, Walter. She'll want to write to you, you know."  
  
"That's fine. I'll write to her, too. But she can't know, Chris."  
  
"She won't."  
  
The train whistle interrupted their conversation and the rest of the family came over. Walter gave them all one last hug and kisses for Leslie, Mother, and Chris. He boarded the train and they watched as it carried him away, the first leg of his journey to St. Hubert and the RCAF No. 1 Squadron.  
  
*******************************************May 2, 1940  
  
Mrs. Moody Spurgeon sniffed as she watched the group of girls tear down the road towards Green Gables. Well, what could you expect from a granddaughter of Anne Shirley and the children of that common Gus Pike? Poor Felicity King. She had married a man beneath her in every respect.  
  
The girls, of course, were Chirs, Lorelei, and Cecily, who was finally recovered from her lingering cold. A casual observer might have thought that they were running for the mere sake of running. But anyone who looked closer would see that, in her right hand, Chris Ford clutched three white envelopes.  
  
Chris and her followers practically exploded into the parlor of Green Gables where their mothers and Leslie had been enjoying a quiet conversation and a cup of tea with Mrs. Guest, the new doctor's wife. Rilla looked up, startled and obviously annoyed at the very loud intrusion. Mrs. Guest hid a smile behind her cup of tea while Felicity, Rilla, and Leslie all tried to look their disapproval. Leslie was the least successful and also had to resort to hiding behind her cup.  
  
"Christine Anne, what is the meaning of this?"  
  
Chris winced inwardly at the warning tone in her mother's voice, but she was sure all would be forgiven when the reason for her rush was revealed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mother, but these came in the mail today," she said between gasps for breath. Rilla took the envelopes from her daughter. She saw only one.  
  
"It's a letter from Walter," she breathed. She tore into the envelope, her mind focused only on the letter from her son. Briefly, she felt guilty for not waiting until Ken was home, but only briefly.  
  
"It's just a short letter. He says they don't have much time for writing, but he promises he'll write more later. Training is going well. He says they'll be ready to ship out soon. Oh, he wants me to remind you of your promise, Chris."  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"All of them, he says. This letter must've been written in a hurry. It's terribly messy. Oh, here's the reason. He's writing it after lights out. He couldn't see the paper to write on it. I can't quite make out what this says. Leslie?"  
  
Leslie looked and quickly deciphered her twin's scratches. Her eyes threatened to well up with tears as she spoke the words he had written.  
  
"I love and miss you all. Take care of each other. I'll be home soon. All my love, Walter."  
  
There was silence in the room for a while as everyone held back their tears. Even Mrs. Guest, who hadn't even met Walter, was moved by the simple ending to his letter. It seemed to sum up what every boy overseas and in training was most likely feeling. Mrs. Guest began to feel like an intruder and she rose slowly.  
  
"I really should be going, Mrs. Ford. Thank you for the tea. You have a beautiful home and a charming family."  
  
"Oh, Mrs. Guest. I am so sorry. Please excuse my rudeness."  
  
"Nonsense. You haven't been rude in the slightest. Why, if my Lee were over there, I'm sure I would be the same way. And please, call me Marigold."  
  
"Then you must call me Rilla. Let me make this up to you. Why don't you and your family join us for dinner tomorrow night?"  
  
"That would be lovely. I look forward to it and I'll make sure my little heathens are on their best behavior."  
  
Mrs. Guest left, but not before bestowing a sparkly-eyed glance towards Chris, who decided right away that she liked this new doctor's wife. Leslie, meanwhile, was eyeing the envelope that carried Joseph's name. Rilla, as yet, had not noticed it and ladylike Leslie was having trouble remaining patient. To the amusement of the others in the room, she finally grabbed the envelope and opened it. She took one look at the letter, blushed crimson, then headed for the stairs and the privacy of her room. Chris and her mother exchanged knowing glances. They wouldn't be hearing anything out of this letter from Joseph.  
  
"The other letter is from Uncle Shirley," Chris piped up, wanting to know what her uncle had to say. Her mother looked down at the envelope, seeing it for the first time.  
  
"Well, let's see what he has to say."  
  
Chris watched as her mother scanned the contents of the short letter. Uncle Shirley never had been one for words. Whatever the letter said, it certainly was making her mother happy.  
  
"He's coming to the Island next month. He wants all of us to have a reunion in Glen St. Mary."  
  
Rilla's eyes danced with excitement. Shirley hadn't been to the Island in five years! She went to the phone immediately to call Di. They had to start planning.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TTFN! 


	15. End of the Reunion

A/N: I just can't seem to get past this two chapters at a time thing. Oh, well. The more the merrier.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~June 5, 1940  
  
It was with a rather heavy heart that Chris left Avonlea for Glen St. Mary. She had discovered two new friends in Dr. and Mrs. Guest's family. One was Mrs. Guest herself who, when all was said and done, seemed more like a girl than a married woman with four children. The other was Mrs. Guest's oldest child who was just a year younger than Chris.  
  
Sylvia Guest added a great deal of mischief to Chris's circle of friends, though the circle definitely wasn't lacking in that department. She was a creature of mirth and laughter, always looking for a good time, and it was impossible to not like her. Even Myra Blewett couldn't deny her charms.  
  
But now Chris was leaving for nearly two weeks! To leave her new friend and her old friends was bad enough, but to leave Will behind as well was almost too much. They had said their goodbyes in Hester Gray's garden the night before Chris's departure and Will had been so attentive that it made it even harder for Chris to leave. Things between them had changed dramatically since the night of the New Year's dance and what had once been a romantic infatuation was rapidly becoming something else entirely. It wasn't quite as exciting as it had been, but Chris found that she liked this better. For some reason, she felt more safe and secure with Will than she did when they weren't together. It was an odd feeling and one she began to ponder as she and her family journeyed towards Glen St. Mary.  
  
Her spirits rose considerably when she caught her first glimpse of Ingleside. She loved it almost as much as Green Gables. This would be a fun reunion. All of her cousins together at once! Chris couldn't remember a time when this had happened.  
  
Chris's family was the first to arrive in Glen St. Mary. They were greeted with wild abandonment by Uncle Jem, Aunt Faith and their brood. Cecelia pounced on Chris eagerly and the two girls were soon absorbed in conversation with one another. They hadn't seen each other for nearly a year.  
  
The group headed to Ingleside for dinner. Aunt Faith remarked jokingly that Grandmother Anne had been cooking for two days. It didn't seem as if she were exaggerating. The table was laden with what appeared to be everyone's favorite dish. When everyone had stuffed themselves full, they lapsed into comfortable conversations with one another. Mother finally stated, rather sadly, Chris thought, that they really should be going. It had been decided that Chris and her family would stay at the old House of Dreams so there would be more room for everyone else. Chris hated to leave Ingleside, but she was so tired at this point that she didn't put up much of an argument. That night, just before she drifted off to sleep, she reflected that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad two weeks after all.  
  
*********************************************June 20, 1940  
  
"Bertha Meredith, get down from that tree this instant!"  
  
Eleven year old Bertha ignored the scolding and climbed higher instead. Chris, sitting at the base of an opposite tree reading a book, glanced at her and smiled. Rosemary Meredith was not amused.  
  
"I said get down!"  
  
"You can't tell me what to do," replied her sister. "You're not my mother."  
  
And with that, the tiny figure went even higher, making Rosemary's face even redder. Chris tried not to laugh, but Cordelia Meredith, Rosemary and Bertha's older sister, had had enough.  
  
"For heaven's sake, Rosemary, leave her alone. She's not hurting anyone up there."  
  
"Yeah, mind your own business," put in Matthew from his position by the water where he and John Blythe were fishing. Rosemary gave him a black look which he eloquently ignored.  
  
"Young ladies do not climb trees," Rosemary stated for about the fourth time that day.  
  
"You climbed that same tree last summer," Chris observed without taking her attention from the book in her hands.  
  
"That's right. You went even higher than Bertha is right now," agreed eight year old Anne, the youngest of the four Meredith girls. She got the same look Matthew had been the recipient of just moments earlier and it affected her about as much as it had affected him. Anne was used to her sister's ridiculous tirades by now. They'd been going on for months.  
  
Rosemary didn't know how to counter this piece of the past that had been thrown in her face and so lapsed into silence for the time being. She went as far away from the group as she could. Cordelia rolled her eyes and went after her to try to calm her down.  
  
Chris took a break from her book to look around. Her gaze fell on Susan Blythe, who was sitting a few feet away with a sketchbook and some pencils.  
  
"What are you drawing?" she asked.  
  
"Shhhh. Don't move. Stay right there."  
  
Her whispered reply was so forceful that Chris felt as if she had no choice. After a few moments, Susan brushed a stray lock of sandy brown hair out of her face and heaved a sigh of relief.  
  
"There. I'm finished."  
  
"Can I see?" asked Chris.  
  
"No, no, no. I have to add a little color to it next and I don't have any colors here with me. But I'll finish it tonight and you can see it before you leave, alright?"  
  
Chris couldn't really argue with that, so she simply nodded in agreement and started to go back to her book, but fate intervened in the form of a slender young man who sauntered down into Rainbow Valley.  
  
"Susan, Mother sent me down here looking for you. She needs your help with something."  
  
"With what? What could I help her with that you couldn't?"  
  
Susan's response was a cheeky grin and a good natured shrug of shoulders. She sighed, collected her things and headed out of Rainbow Valley. Alex Blythe made his way over to Chris and sat down beside her.  
  
"What are you reading?" he asked as he juggled the two apples he had brought with him. Chris watched in amazement for a while before replying.  
  
" 'Wuthering Heights'. I started reading it at home and just couldn't leave it there for two whole weeks, so I brought it along."  
  
"Good book," said Alex, as he continued to juggle the apples. Talking didn't seem to affect his concentration in the slightest. "Would you like me to tell you how it ends?"  
  
"Yes, please do. That way I won't have to bother with reading this very last chapter that I'm on."  
  
Alex grinned and winked at her, then abruptly stopped juggling and handed one of the apples to her.  
  
"Hungry?"  
  
She wasn't, particularly, but Chris had never turned down an apple and she wasn't about to start now. After marking her place in the book, she started in on the apple.  
  
"So what is Avonlea like?" her cousin asked. "I told you all about Vancouver the other day, so it's only fair that you return the favor. And please, don't start talking about that Will person again. I can only take so much lovey dovey stuff."  
  
Chris smiled. She had told Alex all about Will and he had borne it very patiently. It hadn't taken long for she and Alex to get very comfortable with each other. Chris had never been particularly close to any of her male cousins, and she found her new friendship with Alex very exciting. Of course, just being around Alex was exciting. He was the sort of person who could make even the most mundane of tasks seem like an adventure.  
  
"Well, why don't I tell you about my new friend, Sylvia?"  
  
"What about that other girl you were talking about? Lorelei. She sounded pretty."  
  
"Pretty is hardly the word, but I won't have you getting ideas about Lorelei. She's already taken. You'll have to be content to carry on an imaginary romance with Sylvia."  
  
"Fair enough. Tell me all about Sylvia."  
  
Chris launched into a description of Sylvia that probably would've made Paris and Menelaus forget all about Helen. It was great fun to pretend that her friend would fall in love with this cousin of hers. Supremely happy in the romance department herself, Chris had taken to making matches in her own mind with people she knew. As yet, she hadn't acted on these 'matches', but maybe she would someday.  
  
Alex and Chris remained in Rainbow Valley long after the others had headed for Ingleside. The two of them had developed a surprisingly close friendship in the past two weeks. Perhaps it was partly due to the fact that Alex made Chris laugh and, most importantly of all, kept her mind off the raging war across the Atlantic and the thought that her brother would soon be in its midst.  
  
Reluctantly, as the sun began to set, the duo started to make their way to Ingleside. Neither of them were looking forward to the next day. Tomorrow, the Fords were going home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Please, please, please review. I'm so pathetically desperate. 


	16. Growing Pains

A/N: I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone for the reviews I received. And if anyone is confused about the sudden appearance of Alex, I forgot to mention that I made a few minor changes to the family tree. Instead of naming Shirley's son Christian, I changed his name to Alexandre. It got too confusing to write about Chris and Christian.  
  
Miri: I've missed you! So you've been having computer troubles? I'm sorry to hear that. I wondered how many of my reviewers would catch the entrance of Marigold. I always did like that book, mostly because of all the stories Old Grandmother told. I'm glad you approve of her coming to Avonlea.  
  
Ruby: Now don't go neglecting your exams on my account. I didn't graduate from college (yet) and I'm not about to let you do the same. By the way, on your 'Juliet' fic, I saw one of your a/n's about getting married earlier this year. Congratulations. You know, I sat at my computer and thought long and hard about what L.M. Montgomery character to introduce into Avonlea society and Marigold just popped in my head out of the blue. You'll see her daughter more in the next few chapters.  
  
Just me: Your instincts are correct. I never have been to Israel, though I would like to go someday. (Can you tell that one of my dreams is to travel?) Thanks for the advice on the military rankings. I'll check it out.  
  
Gufa: I know what you mean about reunions. I have family that I haven't seen in years and I miss them so much. You're going to see your family for Christmas? Lucky you. I had planned on going to see my family (in New Mexico) but then my cousin decided that she would get married next April and I had to choose between a Christmas trip or seeing my cousin get married. Guess which one I picked. She'd never forgive me if I didn't come to her wedding. Oh well, maybe next Christmas.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~July 2, 1940  
  
"Girls, I just don't know what to do. Everywhere I turn, they're bombarding me with little flowers and candies and horribly written love poems. Which do you like? The blue brings out my eyes, but I really think that the pink suits my complexion better."  
  
Chris and Lorelei were in Sylvia Guest's bedroom at Wyndhaven, helping Sylvia pick out a dress to wear to her first dance. Their hostess, at present, was telling them of her trials and tribulations with the male species. Ever since the Guest family had arrived, the boys of Avonlea had become quite obsessed with 'winning fair lady's heart'. It really was rather frightening at times, the fervor with which they pursued poor Sylvia. Chris did not envy her one bit.  
  
"You could just stop bathing altogether and wear smelly clothes," suggested Lorelei mischievously.  
  
"That is one solution," came the reply. Sylvia actually seemed to be thinking it over.  
  
"Of course, you'd also be without your friends," Chris put in. That seemed to bring an end to all serious thought about Lorelei's suggestion.  
  
"I suppose it's just hopeless," the maiden sighed forlornly. She collapsed on her bed with a hand pressed against her forehead in a dramatic pose. Then, suddenly, she sat back up.  
  
"I am glad Will is taking me to the dance. He's the only boy around here besides Eric who hasn't pursued me relentlessly. Oh, I know he's only taking me because you asked him to, Chris. He isn't interested in me one whit. You've got him so tied up in little knots, he doesn't even look at other girls. Oh, Chris, I wish you could come to the dance."  
  
Chris's eyes sparkled with laughter.  
  
"But if I came to the dance, darling, you wouldn't be going with Will and then we'd have quite a predicament. Besides, you can keep him away from Myra Blewett. I really would like to go the dance, too, but it wouldn't be right to leave Cordelia when I'm the one who invited her to Green Gables."  
  
"Why can't she come along, too?" asked Sylvia.  
  
"She isn't allowed. Uncle Jerry and Aunt Nan won't let her go to dances until she's seventeen. That won't happen until November."  
  
"What a shame. We'll just have to make it up to her, won't we?"  
  
Chris started to get anxious as she saw the look on her friend's face. Sylvia Lorraine Guest was up to something.  
  
***********************************************July 10, 1940  
  
It had been two days since the dance and Chris was beginning to breathe easier. Whatever Sylvia had up her sleeve must've been put to rest. Matthew was out fishing with Lee Guest, Father was at the newspaper office, and Mother and Leslie had just taken the twins for a visit to Orchard Slope. Chris and Cordelia were getting ready to go to the post office when the phone rang. Sighing, Chris picked it up.  
  
"Chris? Chris, can you come over?"  
  
"Lorelei, is that you?" Chris asked. The voice on the other end sounded nothing like Lorelei. At least, nothing like the Lorelei that Chris knew.  
  
"Yes, it's me. Could you please come over? As quick as you can. Bring Sylvia and Cordelia."  
  
"Lorelei? Lorelei?"  
  
But Lorelei had hung up. Chris stared at the receiver in her hand for a moment before hanging it up. Cordelia stood beside her, a questioning look on her face.  
  
"Something's wrong, Cordelia," Chris said. "We've got to get Sylvia and go to Shadowbrook. Right now."  
  
Chris left a note for Mother and Leslie, and the two cousins took off at breakneck speed for Wyndhaven.  
  
**************************  
  
The three girls arrived, breathless and red-faced, at the front door of Shadowbrook. Chris tried to catch her breath a little before knocking on the door. Cecily Pike opened it.  
  
"I'm so glad you're here," she said. "Mother, Father, and Will are all at Grandfather's. She won't talk to me about it at all."  
  
"You don't know what's going on?" asked Sylvia.  
  
"It has something to do with Eric," Cecily replied. "She won't tell me anything more."  
  
Chris went in and headed up the stairs, followed closely by the other three. As she neared Lorelei's room, she heard someone crying. Hesitantly, she knocked on the door.  
  
"Who is it?" said a muffled voice.  
  
"It's Chris, Lorelei. I've brought Sylvia and Cordelia. Cecily's up here, too. She's worried about you."  
  
The door opened and the girls entered. Chris looked around the room in dismay. Clearly, something was very wrong. Lorelei's room, usually neat as a pin, looked as if it had been ransacked. Clothes were on the floor, a mirror lay broken on Lorelei's dresser, the bed was unmade. Lorelei herself was a mess. Her dress was rumpled in every way imaginable, her blonde hair stuck out in every direction, and her face was red and tear- stained. But the tell-tale sign of the exact cause lay on her nightstand. A photograph of Eric, ripped in two.  
  
"Lorelei, what happened?" Chris sat on the bed next to her friend and put an arm around her. The other three girls sat on the floor in front of them.  
  
"Eric's gone," Lorelei replied.  
  
"Gone? Did he enlist? I thought he was going to wait until the summer was over," Sylvia said. Eric had turned eighteen just last week.  
  
"No, he didn't enlist. He went back home to Toronto."  
  
"When? Why?"  
  
"Sometime last night. He left a note for Grandfather, saying that he had a family emergency."  
  
"And you don't believe that?" inquired Cordelia.  
  
"No, I don't. Because he wrote another note and gave it to Donald Phillips to deliver to me. He brought it to me this morning. Here, read it."  
  
Chris took the paper from Lorelei's hands and started to read it.  
  
"Out loud," Lorelei said. "I want everyone to hear what a snake he is."  
  
Four pairs of eyebrows shot up. What had Eric done to make sweet Lorelei so fierce? Chris did as she was told.  
  
" 'Lorelei, I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful time these past few months. You were a wonderful diversion from all that hard work. But I have to leave now. I must go home. You see, my fiancée-'"  
  
Chris stopped dead. His fiancée? What fiancée? Shock was registered plainly on the faces of all the girls in the room. Lorelei was the only one who spoke.  
  
"Go on," she said.  
  
" 'My fiancée has decided that she wants to marry me before I enlist and, since I'm going into the army, I don't need to work anymore to save up for college. You're a good kid, Lorelei, and I'll always remember you fondly. Take care of yourself. Eric.'"  
  
Lorelei was crying again and Chris was fuming. She was furious with Eric and furious with herself for not having seen through his façade. Looking over at Lorelei, though, she realized her friend needed comfort, not pointless tirades of anger.  
  
"Oh, Lorelei, I'm so sorry," Chris said, not really knowing what else to say. Lorelei put her head on Chris's shoulder.  
  
"He said he loved me," she sobbed. "He told me I was beautiful and smart and talented. He, he said we'd get married after the war and live in a beautiful house in Montreal. Oh, Chris. He said he loved me."  
  
She repeated her first sentence and it went through Chris's heart like an arrow. What kind of a man would play with a girl's emotions like this? Chris knew that Lorelei had loved Eric with every fiber of her being. This was a devastating blow. Not only to her heart, but to her mind and spirit as well. They all sat there in silence, not knowing how to comfort their friend. Lorelei's heart had been broken and none of them knew anything about something like that. Chris rocked Lorelei back and forth as if she were a small child until her sobs had subsided and she pulled away to reach for a handkerchief.  
  
"Lorelei, you must listen to me," Chris said in the most forceful tone she could muster. After watching her best friend in such pain, she herself was close to tears. Lorelei looked at her with sorrowful eyes.  
  
"He isn't worth this, Lorelei. He isn't worth the dirt under your feet. You're far too good for him and, though you may not realize it now, you're better off without him."  
  
"Part of me knows you're right," Lorelei said as she reached for a dry handkerchief. "The other part of me just wants to dig a hole in the ground and hide there forever."  
  
"I know what you need," said Sylvia brightly. "We'll all have a girls' night out. No boys allowed. I'll run home and ask Mother about it. Oh, we could do all sorts of things, Lorelei. Please say yes."  
  
"Well, I," Lorelei hesitated. Sylvia took advantage of the short pause.  
  
"Wonderful! Now, I'll run home and get everything planned out. No worries about money, girls. This is my treat. I've been saving my allowances since I was seven years old. Never had anything to spend it on, really. Meet me at Wyndhaven in two hours, alright?"  
  
The whirlwind that was Sylvia left the room and Lorelei looked at Chris forlornly.  
  
"I don't really want to go do anything."  
  
"Nonsense, Lorelei Pike. The last thing you need to do is stay up here in this room, mooning over some boy who isn't even worth your time. If Sylvia hadn't suggested something, I would've made you get out of this house. Now, you go get cleaned up. We'll take care of this mess in here."  
  
"No, I couldn't let you do that. I did all this when I first read that note. I was so mad. It isn't right for you to clean it up. I'll do it."  
  
"No, you won't," Cordelia spoke up. "You'll go get freshened up and we'll clean this up. Now, go on. We Merediths and Fords can be just as stubborn as you Pikes."  
  
Lorelei attempted a smile before heading for the door. Just before she stepped out in the hallway, she turned back to Chris.  
  
"I'll never fall in love again," she said quietly. Chris stared after her retreating back, unable to reply. She hoped, for Lorelei's sake, that her prediction wouldn't come true. A life without love was no life at all.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Sorry to disappoint, peoples, but there's only one chappie today. I was very busy at work and didn't really have time to write another. Hope you're not too mad at me. P.S. Please send in any information you have on military rankings. Websites, I mean. I would really appreciate it. 


	17. Twilight of Innocence

A/N: Another day, another chapter. Let me just reiterate (I love that word) that I do not own anything connected to L.M. Montgomery or Kevin Sullivan productions.  
  
Faerie5: Fear not, there's more of Alex and Sylvia on the way. As a matter of fact, Alex is in this chapter. Well, sort of. You must have a big house to fit your whole family in it. I love big houses. I love small houses, too, but I want to live in a big house someday with a lot of land and maybe four or five kids. Of course, if I have four or five kids, I probably won't be able to afford a big house. Oh, well.  
  
Just me: I thought at least one of the girls would need to be heartbroken without killing off their sweetheart. Besides, I wanted to get rid of Eric. You haven't read Magic for Marigold? It's a good book. Not L.M. Montgomery's best work, but I don't think that woman was capable of writing a bad book. I like it very much and I hope you will, too. Thanks for your advice on the military rankings.  
  
Anonymous327: I've always liked that name, too. When I started writing this story I thought, 'What should I name Chris's best friend?'. I wanted to call her Sara, for obvious reasons, but she got stubborn on me and refused to be called anything but Lorelei.  
  
Ruby: I feel sorry for Lorelei, too. My original plan was just for the two of them to split, not for Eric to break her heart, but my fingers seemed to have a mind of their own as they flew over the keyboard and, out of the blue, Lorelei was left wounded. I don't think I'll have a 'real' love triangle, but there might be a few moments of jealousy that Chris feels towards Sylvia or vice/versa. Will is a perfect gentleman and, even if he does find Sylvia attractive, his feelings for Chris will not lessen in the slightest.  
  
Marzoog: You mischievous little matchmaker! Give me time and have patience. Good things come to those who wait. Lorelei won't exactly be in misery forever, but the incident with Eric will change her. More of that in later chapters.  
  
Steph: You darling girl! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have bookmarked the page you sent me and I'm sure I'll be using it in later chapters. You are right. Eric is a loser. Glad to have you back. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't missed you.  
  
Gufa: He is worse than a snake, but, since I don't swear myself and since it was very rare to find a swear word in L.M. Montgomery's works, I simply couldn't call him what he really was. Thank you for the compliment on the names of the houses. I must confess, though, that I got Shadowbrook from a website about Elven names (Lord of the Rings). I am happy to take credit for Wyndhaven, though. It just sort of popped into my head.  
  
WARNING!!: The first part of this chapter contains pure silliness. If you are against such things, I suggest you skip to the line of little stars, which indicates the return to common sense. Sort of.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~August 3, 1940  
  
" 'If I ever see that Eric chap, I'll be sure and give him a good pounding. What a horrible thing to do to a girl! You tell Lorelei for me that I'll hunt him down if I have to go to the ends of the Earth. But only if she wants me to.'"  
  
Chris smiled as she read the last few lines of Alex's letter. He had spent most of this epistle ranting and raving about Eric's desertion of Lorelei. Oh, if only Alex were here. Surely he could cheer Lorelei up. Not that she was morose or anything like that. Lorelei had only moped for a little while after Eric's departure and then, all of a sudden, it was as if nothing had ever happened. She went about with a smile on her face and cheerful words for everyone.  
  
This worried Chris more than moping would have. Lorelei's smile was always too bright, her eyes too sparkly and she was far too easy to amuse these days. She was pretending. Chris knew Lorelei inside and out. All her sorrow had been locked away, pushed to the back of her mind. If things went on this way, Chris didn't know what would happen. Could it be possible that lovable, funny Lorelei would become bitter? It was a thought Chris did not want to entertain.  
  
She sighed as she rose from her position on the front porch of Green Gables. A melancholy mood had descended upon her today, for she hadn't seen Will in almost a week. Since Eric left, Will had been very busy helping on the King farm and, although he usually 'phoned her when he returned to Shadowbrook, he was usually far too tired to come see her. Chris had tried going to visit him once, but, after he had fallen asleep on the sofa, she realized that he was just too exhausted after working so hard and she didn't have the heart to try and keep him awake.  
  
Chris turned to go inside and up to her room. Alex had written her, finally, and she must write him back. But a voice at the gate stopped her.  
  
"Chris!"  
  
She turned around, her eyes dancing as Will came up the walk. When he reached her, he drew her to him and leaned in to kiss her. She struggled, using very little of her actual strength.  
  
"Will, we're in plain view of everyone," she protested unconvincingly. His smile disappeared and Chris almost laughed at the absurdly over exaggerated look of sorrow that contorted his features.  
  
"If I can't give you a kiss anytime I want, then life simply isn't worth living anymore."  
  
He released her with an over dramatized gesture and went down the front steps before turning back around, his hazel eyes full of longing. Chris started to go after him, but he put one hand up to stop her.  
  
"No, no, milady. You have wounded me to the core," he continued in an exaggerated British accent. " 'Tis cruel of you, milady, but this love I feel knows no bounds. Cruel or no, you have stolen my heart. Now I find you do not want it and so I must depart from this wretched existence."  
  
"Are you finished?" Chris asked, one delicate eyebrow raised in amusement.  
  
"Oh, the lady thinks my broken heart amusing! What manner of woman is it that would find sport in such a sorrowful thing? 'Tis too much for me to take. Woe is me!"  
  
Mother, having heard the racket outside, joined Chris on the porch just in time to see Will fall to his knees in mock despair.  
  
"What's gotten into him?" she asked.  
  
"I have no idea," Chris replied, trying not to laugh. She had to increase her efforts when Will picked up a nearby stick and got back up on his feet.  
  
"Milady, I shall carry the memory of your beauty with me always. Goodbye, my queen."  
  
"Oh, so now I'm a queen," Chris said to Mother. "I suppose I could live with that."  
  
Will, having run out of utterly ridiculous things to say, proceeded to run his 'sword' through his heart and drag himself to Chris's feet before dying. Unable to control herself any longer, Chris burst into laughter. Mother merely smiled, shook her head, and went back inside. Once Chris caught her breath, she decided to join the fun. She knelt down beside Will's 'dead' body.  
  
"My lord, my lord! How could I have been so blind? I see now that you have always had my heart just as I have had yours. But now it is too late. You are gone from me forever."  
  
She bowed her head and began to cry so persuasively that Will was alarmed and he opened his eyes.  
  
"Don't cry, Chris, please."  
  
Chris raised her head and grinned at him.  
  
"You sly thing," he said, returning the grin. "You must be destined for a career on the stage. Or in films perhaps."  
  
"Well, one thing is for certain," she replied, getting to her feet. "We know now that you definitely are not destined for such a life. What a horrid bit of acting," she concluded teasingly.  
  
"You've cut me to the quick, milady."  
  
"Oh, no. Don't start that again. Really, Will, what's gotten you into such a strange mood?"  
  
He winked at her before pushing himself off the floor. In a move so fast that Chris had no time to resist, he pulled her to him and kissed her. When he released her, he kept one arm around her waist, still holding her close. Chris found that she was grateful for the support.  
  
"I love you, Chris. Have I told you that lately?" he inquired.  
  
"Not since yesterday," she whispered. He smiled down at her and Chris suddenly realized how tall he was getting. Why, he was almost as tall as Joseph! She decided right away that she liked him being so tall.  
  
"Let's go for a walk," he said. She did not protest as he took her hand in his and led her to the gate.  
  
*****************************************  
  
Their walk led them to the Lake of Shining Waters just as the sun was beginning to set. Chris was entranced by the fiery sky as it reflected off the water.  
  
"Isn't it beautiful?" she breathed.  
  
"I would say exquisite," Will replied, staring directly at her. Chris blushed furiously at the compliment and held his hand even tighter. They watched in silence as the vibrant colors began to fade. Reluctantly, Chris began to turn.  
  
"We should be getting back," she said. "It will be dark soon."  
  
Will wanted to protest, but wisely said nothing. Ever since the fight with Emily, Chris had been adamant about the two of them being out alone after dark. He let her lead him back to the road and, slowly, they began to walk back to Green Gables. Now in a more prosaic setting, Will felt it was safe to discuss the more realistic things in life.  
  
"We had a letter from Sara yesterday. She's leaving England."  
  
"I thought she was going to wait until Christmas."  
  
"So did we. She's changed her mind, it seems. I think her husband has something to do with it. He sent us a telegram just two weeks ago saying that he was trying to convince her to leave London. He doesn't think it's safe there."  
  
"Not safe in London? What makes him think that? Surely the Germans wouldn't attack London. There's really no one but civilians there."  
  
"Well, if he was the person who finally convinced my sister to come home for the duration of this war, then my opinion of him has risen dramatically."  
  
"When will she leave? Did she give a date?"  
  
"She booked passage on the first available ship. It sails on the fifteenth of September."  
  
"That was the first available ship?"  
  
"I guess so. I really can't wait to see her, Chris. I've missed her so much."  
  
"I know, Will. I understand."  
  
Wanting to change the subject to a more pleasant topic, Chris abruptly switched gears.  
  
"I had a letter from Alex today. Finally."  
  
"Really? And what did he have to say?" asked Will. Chris had talked about Alex nonstop for almost a week after she returned from Ingleside and Will almost felt as if he had already met her cousin.  
  
"He had the most wonderful news. Uncle Shirley has said that Alex might be able to come out to the Island for the entire summer next year. I've already decided that he'll stay at Green Gables. Mother and Father have agreed to it and I'm sure my grandparents won't mind. He'd be so bored in Glen St. Mary. He and Uncle Jem's children got along well enough, but I think he might prefer to be with Leslie and I. The three of us got on splendidly."  
  
"I certainly hope he makes it out here. It must be hard to make a friend and then have to say goodbye so soon."  
  
"It is. And I think I've said enough goodbyes this past year to last me the rest of my life."  
  
Will was quiet for a moment, not really wanting to ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue. But he knew it couldn't be avoided.  
  
"Have you heard anymore from Walter?"  
  
"We had another letter from Walter just last week. It was short, just like his first one, but just seeing his handwriting seems to be enough for Mother."  
  
"What about Joseph?"  
  
The look on Chris's face gave Will his answer, but she spoke anyway.  
  
"We haven't heard from him since he sent Leslie that letter in May."  
  
"Well," Will said, trying to be reassuring, "it isn't as if there's a post office on every corner where he is. I'm sure he's fine."  
  
"Will, it's just awful. It's gotten so that I can hardly stand to look at Leslie. She cries every night. She thinks I'm asleep, but I hear her. Mother knows it, too. I can tell she knows. But there's nothing we can say or do to make Leslie feel any better. Believe me, I've tried. It's so horrible that, sometimes, I think it must all be a bad dream."  
  
Will said nothing, but he slipped an arm around Chris comfortingly. She leaned against him slightly as they continued their walk to Green Gables. After a quick good night kiss at the gate, he stood and watched as she went inside. Sighing, he turned towards his own home.  
  
Walking to Shadowbrook, Will drank in every sight he could in the dusky twilight. He had taken to examining the things he loved most very closely these past few weeks. In his mind, imprints were made of places with childhood memories and faces that were dearer to him than life itself. Things in Europe were not getting any better, and the main thought weighing on his mind these days was the fact that his eighteenth birthday was rapidly approaching. The Piper was calling him and he had no choice but to follow.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: I'm going to try to get another chapter up today! Wish me luck! 


	18. The First Casualty

A/N: I know, I know. I didn't get this posted when I hoped I would. I apologize for the delay, but I was helping my mother put up the Christmas tree on Saturday and I went Christmas shopping with my husband on Sunday. 'Tis the season!  
  
Annie34: Oh, I'm so glad you like my story and I'm equally glad that you decided to review. I gave you chills? Yay me! I'm sorry for making you wait a whole weekend for the update and I hope you review again!  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: Thanks for wishing me luck! Sorry you had to wait so long.  
  
Just me: You're probably right about the use of 'got', but I was just not in a 'word-finding' mood. Thanks for the advice, though. I wish you luck on your two papers. Don't cry too much over Will leaving. I wouldn't want to be responsible for a run on Kleenex.  
  
Gufa: AAAAAAAHHHHH! You got me again! That's okay. I expect nothing less from you. You liked my chapter! I must admit, I was a bit nervous when I was writing it. I feel bad for Lorelei, too and, unfortunately, things for her are going to get worse before they get better. And you are correct. It would do you absolutely no good to beg for someone's life. This one is going to be a bit unexpected, I'm sure.  
  
Steph: I thought it was time we see a funny side to Will. After all, Gus Pike was a lot of fun, too. Have we become attached to Joseph? I can't reveal anything about his fate, you know, so I can't promise anything. All I can say, as I've said before, is that I'll try not to turn this fic into some sort of Greek tragedy.  
  
Jessy E: I've looked for your stories! Where are they? Tell me and I'll read. I'll think about your suggestion of going to the front with Walter or Joseph, but I'm just not good at writing battle stuff. Glad you liked the way I got rid of Eric. Can't reveal anything on the Walter/Alex/Sylvia/Lorelei thing. My Emily/Chris chapter will be coming up in the next few days, I hope.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~September 16, 1940  
  
Chris and Matthew arrived breathless at the doors of the school. For some reason, no one had been to the post office the day before and so Father had dropped by there on his way to the newspaper office. He had returned immediately, with a letter from Joseph.  
  
Leslie had cried when Father handed her the letter and had been shaking so badly from sheer relief that Chris had opened the letter and read it out loud. A smaller note was tucked away inside, just for Leslie. After breakfast, she had grabbed it hungrily and raced up the stairs. The reading of Joseph's letter was the reason for Chris and Matthew's tardiness.  
  
Chris slid into her seat with a guilty glance at Miss Mosley, the teacher. She was given a reprimanding look, but no further discipline. Looking to her right, Chris noticed that Lorelei was not there. That was strange. During the school year, Lorelei often arrived early. She loved school. Chris glanced off to her left and locked eyes with Sylvia, who shrugged in reply. Miss Mosley began the geometry lesson and Chris had no more time for wondering about her friend. Geometry was the bane of her existence, just as it had been for her grandmother, and she had to work twice as hard at it as she did at any other subject.  
  
*************************************  
  
"Has anyone heard anything about Lorelei or Cecily?" asked Chris. It was lunchtime and she, Sylvia, Miranda Sloane, and Sylvia's twelve year old sister, Marion, were eating their lunches on the grass underneath their favorite tree. Cecily, so Marion said, had not been in school that morning, either.  
  
"I haven't seen them since yesterday," replied Miranda, as she bit hungrily into the ripe red apple in her hand.  
  
"I called Lorelei on the 'phone last night," Sylvia said. "One of those geometry problems was giving me such a headache and you know how good she is at geometry."  
  
"Did she sound alright? She didn't sound sick or anything?"  
  
"No, not at all. In fact, she seemed more cheerful than she has been this past week."  
  
Chris nodded. Since the Germans had started their air attacks on London on September 7, the entire Pike family had been on edge. Even Will, the most outgoing of the Pike offspring, had been rather withdrawn. And Chris couldn't remember the last time she'd seen cheerful, easygoing Gus even crack a smile. But yesterday, Sara had been scheduled to leave London. It only made sense that the family would relax once the date for her departure had arrived.  
  
"I'll go by there on my way home and see if they're alright," Chris said. Matthew, walking by with Sylvia's brother Lee, heard her announcement and shook his head.  
  
"Sorry, sis. That's not going to happen. You promised Mother you'd be home in time to watch the twins so she and Leslie could get some shopping down before suppertime."  
  
"Oh, that's right! I forgot."  
  
"I'll run over there after school, then," Sylvia assured her. It was Lee's turn to shake his head.  
  
"You can't go anywhere, either, remember? Father said you were to come straight home and rework those geometry problems you got wrong on the last assignment."  
  
Sylvia wrinkled her nose at him.  
  
"Don't you boys have anything better to do than spoil our plans?" she asked. "Why don't you go take a walk?"  
  
"Preferably a long one," finished Chris, but not without a wink at Matthew. She couldn't even pretend to be angry with her little brother. He grinned at her and then, with a roll of his eyes, pulled Lee away from Miranda. Lee had quite a case on her, but Miranda would have nothing to do with him.  
  
"I'll 'phone Lorelei as soon as I get home," Chris decided. "Then I'll call you and let you know if anything has happened."  
  
"Fair enough," Sylvia replied. The bell rang and the girls gathered their things and ran inside.  
  
****************************************  
  
Chris stayed a little late after school to finish her accursed geometry problems with the help of Miss Mosley. She told Matthew to go ahead and inform Mother that she would be there as soon as she could. The twins would be alright with Matthew for a little while. He'd watched them before.  
  
Nevertheless, she walked as fast as she could to Green Gables once she'd left the school. Chris tried to remember Mother's admonishment to not run everywhere she went now that she was nearly seventeen. Upon arriving at Green Gables, she frowned when she noticed that the car was still there. Mother and Leslie wouldn't have walked to town. Not when they had shopping to do. Why would they still be here?  
  
A queer feeling started in the pit of Chris's stomach and she tried to ignore it. Mother had obviously just decided to wait for her. But the feeling would not go away. And it increased when she went inside and saw the whole family, Father included, sitting in the front room. The twins played happily on the floor, unaware of what was going on around them, but Father was pale, his eyes betraying tears that he tried not to let fall. Matthew looked stricken. Mother, her face even paler than Father's, sat beside Leslie, her arms wrapped around her oldest daughter. And Leslie was sobbing. The sound of it made Chris think back to that day when Lorelei had learned of Eric's betrayal. Her first thoughts were of Joseph. If it were Walter, she doubted Mother would still be standing.  
  
"Is it Joseph?" she asked in a trembling voice, not wanting to hear the answer she knew would come. Apparently, no one wanted to answer her.  
  
"Someone please tell me something," she cried. The raw emotions in the air were quickly fraying her nerves. Father went to her and put his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Sara Pike was killed in an air raid on London three nights ago. The Pikes received the telegram this morning."  
  
"What? No."  
  
"I'm afraid it's true. Felicity just 'phoned us half an hour ago. Chris? Chris, come back!"  
  
But Chris was already out the door and tearing down the road towards Shadowbrook. She had to get to Will. She had to get to Lorelei. They were her only thought as she ran. Her own tears would have to wait. They needed her.  
  
She knocked on the door of Shadowbrook and was greeted by Janet King, whose normally cheerful face was drawn and haggard.  
  
"Hello, Chris," she said.  
  
"Oh, Mrs. King. I'm so sorry."  
  
"You're a sweet girl, my dear, to come here so quickly. It will do Lorelei and Cecily good to see you. They're upstairs in Lorelei's room."  
  
"And Will?"  
  
Janet King frowned.  
  
"We haven't seen him since this morning," she replied quietly. Chris digested this and knew immediately where Will was. She longed to find him first, but something inside her said that he needed time alone. Lorelei and Cecily, on the other hand, needed her right now. With a quick thank you to Mrs. King, she climbed the stairs to the Lorelei's room. Mrs. King followed her a few minutes later, going to her own daughter's bedroom with a hot cup of tea. Felicity was taking Sara's death very hard. Gus, who had gone into Carlisle for two days with his father-in-law, was still unaware of the news. He would be home soon.  
  
************************************  
  
Chris emerged from Lorelei's room nearly an hour and a half later. She simply couldn't bear to be there anymore. Cecily had cried and cried, clinging to her frantically. Lorelei had said nothing, done nothing. Somehow, the emptiness in her best friend's soft brown eyes hurt Chris more than the desperate tears of Cecily. That young girl had cried herself to sleep as Chris held her and was now lying on Lorelei's bed. Chris had tried to put an arm around her best friend, but her attempts had been met with indifference and silence. The look on Lorelei's face haunted Chris as she made her way down the stairs towards the front door. She met Gus Pike on her way out as he was coming in. When he smiled at her, she realized he didn't know yet.  
  
"Hello, Chris," he said cheerfully. "And what brings you to our home at this hour of the day? Shouldn't you be studyin'?"  
  
Unsure of what to say, Chris opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Gus looked at her, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Fortunately, his mother-in-law appeared at that moment.  
  
"Chris, thank you for coming, dear. Gus, I need to speak with you, please."  
  
Only then did Gus Pike notice how silent his house was, how pale Chris and his mother in law were. An icy cold hand gripped his heart as he followed Janet King into the next room. Chris took the opportunity to leave and was soon on her way to Hester Gray's garden.  
  
**********************************************  
  
She found him there, just as she had known she would. He didn't hear her approaching and she took some time just to watch him. Will was sitting on their little bench, head in his hands, his dark brown hair falling around his eyes like a curtain at a theater. Chris realized with horror that he was shaking. Shaking with sobs. Instantly, she was at a loss. She had never really seen a man cry before. Oh, she had seen Father's eyes filled with tears today and, though she couldn't be sure of it, she thought Walter's eyes had seemed a little watery the day of his departure.  
  
But this wild abandonment was something new entirely. Her heart ached as she listened to his ragged breaths, his attempts to hold the tears back even though he thought he was alone. What fool had started the belief that men shouldn't cry? Didn't men have feelings, too?  
  
Will's tears served to make Chris even more determined about her own. He had been her strength several times. Now, she would return the favor. He would not see tears from her. Not when so little of his own strength was left. She straightened up, held her chin firmly in determination and, looking remarkably like her Grandmother Anne at that moment, walked up behind Will and put her hands on his shoulders.  
  
He stiffened immediately and craned his head around. His first emotion was that of shame. Why did she have to see him like this? Then again, he should have known that she, of all people, would find him here. As he looked up into her eyes, he felt strangely comforted by her presence. How was it that her presence soothed him more than anything else in the world?  
  
"I should've been there, Chris," he whispered. "I should've protected her. I was her only brother and I couldn't protect her."  
  
"Will, there's no way any one could've known this was going to happen."  
  
"What kind of brother am I?" he continued, ignoring his love's statement. "We made a pact when we were little, you know. We promised to always take care of each other, no matter what happened. I broke my promise, Chris."  
  
"Listen to me, Will. Please listen. There was nothing any of us could do, darling. This isn't something you could have prevented."  
  
"She always was stubborn. Never could be convinced that she was wrong. If she had done what Mother asked her to, she'd be alive now. She'd be here with us, where she belongs."  
  
Chris abandoned her position behind Will and walked around the bench to sit beside him. It was obvious that words would do no good right now. She covered his hand with her own and he looked over at her. His eyes were so full of pain and anger that Chris found it very difficult to stick to her plan of not crying.  
  
"What am I going to do without her, Chris? What will any of us do?"  
  
"I don't have any answers, Will. But I can make you a promise. I promise I'll always be here for you. You can come to me anytime you want, no matter what."  
  
Will did not reply, but he squeezed her hand tightly and she took that as an acceptance of her promise. Briefly, she wondered if she should tell him about his younger sister's reaction to all this. She was very worried about Lorelei. But the urge to tell him passed. He had enough to deal with right now.  
  
They sat in silence on that stone bench, their hands intertwined tightly. Will glanced at Chris from time to time and said several silent prayers, thanking God that he had someone like her to help him through this. He had never lost someone he loved before and he was trying to dull the sharp pain that sliced through his soul like a knife. But each time he got close to his goal, some sweet memory of Sara would play itself in his mind.  
  
He tried to hold his tears in, now that Chris was here. But his emotions were stronger than his willpower and he soon no longer cared who saw him cry. Chris held him as he let the tears fall freely. She fought her own, but to no avail. They were both crying before long. The old garden watched as the two of them mourned the loss of their sister and friend. It wasn't the first time that enchanted place had seen sorrow. And it wouldn't be the last.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Wow! What a depressing chapter. I knew it would be. That's why I had Will act so silly in the last one. Anyway, please review. 


	19. Chris's Birthday Surprise: Part 1

A/N: Here we are again! Fun, fun, fun! Actually, this part of the story isn't really fun, is it? Oh, well.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: I like your compliments and I always look forward to getting a review from you.  
  
Anonymous327: Yes, I feel sorry for Will, too. And Lorelei. And the whole Pike family. It simply isn't fair. But I thought it would be ironic that the first casualty from Avonlea would be a young woman instead of a soldier who died in battle.  
  
Ruby: You must be in pretty bad shape if a chapter about someone dying in the London blitz cheered you up. (Just kidding). As I said in my review of your story, I'm sorry to hear you have the flu. Nasty little thing, isn't it? Hope you like this chapter. It's really just a harmless bit of fluff.  
  
Steph: You almost cried?! That makes me feel good and bad all at the same time. Do not worry about Lorelei. She has a hard road ahead of her, but it will come out alright in the end. And I'm glad you're attached to my characters. It makes me feel that I've accomplished something.  
  
Gufa: Well, I suppose I didn't necessarily have to do it, but the idea had been forming in my mind for quite some time (since around Chapter 6, I guess) and by the time I got to it, I was quite ruthless. I did say Sara Pike for one simple reason. Sara Pike is really how everyone knows her and if I'd said 'Sara Brighton' all of you would've been saying, 'Who?'. I like Aunt Janet, too, and was glad I could finally work her in, even if it had to be this way. I really don't think you should ask what's coming because 'The First Casualty' is exactly that. The first. Here is another chapter. I hope it's soon enough.  
  
Marzoog: Pooh? In response to your Fiddler on the Roof joke, I have only this to say. "Dear Yenta, see that he's gentle, remember you were also a bride. It's not that I'm sentimental. It's just that I'm terrified!" See? I know Fiddler on the Roof. (tee-hee)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~October 26, 1940  
  
Chris was awakened by the sound of rain hitting her window. She groaned and rolled her eyes. Perfect. Her birthday finally fell on a Saturday and now it was raining. Leslie, who was getting dressed, smiled at her sister's reaction.  
  
"I'm sorry, Chris," she said. She knew Chris had planned to spend the entire day outside, if at all possible.  
  
"What are you apologizing for?" Chris asked as she threw back the covers. "You didn't pray for rain or anything like that, did you?"  
  
"Don't be silly. Of course not. I just know you've been looking forward to today. I know you were planning on spending most of your time with Will, running around Avonlea."  
  
"Well, if you want the truth, that was more for Will's sake than mine. He needs to rest."  
  
Leslie nodded in agreement. Chris wasn't the only one worried about Will. It seemed that the main outlet for his grief over Sara was to work on the King farm. From sunup to sundown, he could be found there. Chris often visited him while he was working, taking him a snack or some little treat, but she was almost as worried about him as she was about Lorelei.  
  
Not one person in Avonlea had missed the change in Lorelei Pike. Most people had fallen for her false cheer after Eric had hurt her so deeply, but Lorelei had been unable to hide behind that façade when her sister was killed. She seemed to move like one in a dream, going about with a faraway look in her eyes. Already an excellent student, she had thrown herself into her studies with the same fervor that her brother attacked work on the King farm. Knowledge was the only thing she opened herself to these days. Not even Chris was able to penetrate the walls that Lorelei had built around her heart.  
  
After she was dressed, Chris came down the stairs and into the kitchen where she was greeted by a rather cheery scene. The entire family was there, waiting for her. Mother, it seemed, had cooked every one of Chris's favorite breakfast foods. Pancakes, bacon, fried potatoes, oatmeal, eggs, biscuits and-  
  
"Is that a chocolate cake?" asked Chris, staring unbelievingly at the centerpiece of the table. Her parents smiled, Leslie smothered a laugh, and Matthew was too busy eyeing the cake hungrily to pay any attention to his sister's remark.  
  
"Happy birthday, darling," Mother said. Father and Leslie both wished her the same thing and every one looked at Matthew. Sensing the silence, he suddenly looked away from his precious cake.  
  
"Huh? What? Oh, yeah. Um, happy birthday. Can we eat this cake now? I've had to look at it for ten minutes."  
  
Chris laughed and sat down. The family began to partake of the large spread. Matthew ate quickly, having been told that he would receive no cake until he had finished a decent breakfast. When he was done, he started to pick up the knife, but his father stopped him.  
  
"Oh no you don't. We wait for your sister. It's her birthday."  
  
Matthew looked at Chris pleadingly. An evil smile spread across her face the moment their eyes met and Matthew mentally kicked himself. Very slowly and very deliberately, Chris picked up a biscuit and just as slowly and deliberately proceeded to butter it. Mother tried to look her disapproval over her daughter's teasing while Father and Leslie instantly bowed their own heads over their plates so Matthew wouldn't see them smile. Matthew groaned and leaned back, taking his eyes off his sister and returning them to the cake.  
  
Chris was having a great deal of fun at Matthew's expense, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. She wanted some of that cake just as much as he did. In the end, it was only about five minutes later when they finally cut into the cake, though it seemed much longer to Matthew.  
  
*********************************************  
  
Almost immediately after breakfast, there was a knock on the front door. Chris opened it to reveal a surprisingly dry Will. He shot her a grin, the first time he had really smiled since his sister's death.  
  
"I've come to take you away," he said.  
  
"Pray tell, kind sir, just where would we be going?"  
  
"Anywhere you want. Father's let me have the car all day. We can drive all over the Island if you want."  
  
"Can we go to Glen St. Mary?"  
  
The question was not one Will had expected and he flinched a little. Glen St. Mary was sixty miles away. It was raining and the roads were slick. But he found it impossible to refuse his beloved.  
  
"If that's what you want, it is not within me to say thee nay."  
  
"Oh, that's wonderful! I've been wanting to see my grandparents for a while. Of course, someone will have to come with us. It wouldn't look right for us to drive that far by ourselves. What if Leslie came?"  
  
"That's fine," Will replied, trying very hard to hide his disappointment. Having another person with them all day long threw a severe kink in his plans. Ken Ford had heard the last part of the conversation and didn't miss the brief look of disappointment on Will's face. An alarm went off in his head and he decided to step in.  
  
"Good morning, Will," he said, coming forward and taking Will's hand in a firm grasp.  
  
"Good morning, sir," came the respectful reply. "I just stopped by to see if Chris would like to drive around the Island."  
  
"Father, Will is taking me to Ingleside! Is that alright? We'll take Leslie or Matthew with us. Maybe even both of them."  
  
Ken never took his eyes off Will's face during this time and he was somewhat amused to see the panic flicker into the young man's hazel eyes.  
  
"Well, I don't know, Chris. Why don't you let your mother and I talk to Will about it first? It shouldn't take long."  
  
Chris was confused, but she didn't question her father. It made her a bit nervous, really, when Father called Mother into the parlor with him and Will and then shut the door behind them. Not one for eavesdropping, she went upstairs to her room where she would not even be tempted to listen in.  
  
**********************Meanwhile, in the parlor  
  
Will sat uncomfortably as Ken explained the situation to Rilla. He didn't know whether he should be angry or hurt. He felt as if his honor was being called into question. As if they didn't trust him alone with Chris. Therefore, it came as a bit of a surprise when Rilla sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"She's very young, Will. You both are."  
  
Instantly, he knew that they had guessed his plans for the day. He smiled nervously.  
  
"I don't plan on taking her away from you, Mrs. Ford. Not for a while, at least."  
  
"How long is 'a while'?" Ken asked. With his eyebrows raised and his arms crossed, he seemed very intimidating at the moment.  
  
"Well, sir, it would be after the war at least. I'll be leaving this December."  
  
"Oh, no, Will. Not you, too," Rilla breathed. She hated this. She hated having to see her daughters go through what she had at their age.  
  
"I have no other choice, Mrs. Ford. It's my duty. Not only to my country, but to my sister."  
  
There didn't seem to be a way to respond to this and so Rilla fell silent for the time-being.  
  
"She's still too young," Ken said decidedly. "Why, she's just turned seventeen."  
  
"It's not my intention to marry her before I leave for Europe, sir. Nor is it my intention to marry her as soon as I return. My grandfather is, well, let's just say he isn't as strong as he once was. He told my parents last week that he intends to had the farm over to me when I'm twenty-one. I pray that the war will be over by then. At any rate, I won't marry Chris until I have a home for us and I don't plan on moving in with my grandparents. There's a small plot of land to the side of the old orchard that I've picked out, with Grandfather's permission, for our home. It won't be much, not as much as she deserves, but I'll do my best to make it everything she ever dreamed of. I love your daughter, sir. I plan on devoting my life to making her happy."  
  
Will's nervousness, obviously, had subsided and he had made a speech that was a great deal more flowery than he intended. But it seemed to work wonders on Rilla's objections and even Ken softened a little.  
  
"I know you love her, Will," he said. "I don't doubt that. I never have. But-."  
  
Rilla had turned to him with a look that clearly said, 'We need to talk'. They excused themselves from the parlor, leaving a rather anxious Will alone, and talked in whispers in the hall.  
  
"It would be wrong to refuse him, Ken."  
  
"But they're too young, Rilla. Will's not even eighteen, yet."  
  
"They're only two years younger than I was when you proposed to me, remember? No, now let me finish. Will only has the best of intentions. It would be silly to think that he didn't. We've known him since he was a little boy, Ken. Do you really think he would break our daughter's heart?"  
  
"Of course not. But, Rilla, think of it like this. Joseph didn't even propose to Leslie before he left."  
  
"Joseph and Leslie are just getting started, my love, and he did ask her to wait for him. It's practically the same thing. Why don't you just admit the truth, Ken? You don't want him to propose because you're the one who isn't ready."  
  
Ken opened his mouth to protest, but knew it would do no good. Rilla was right, of course. Why did she always have to be right about things like this? The thought of his little girl being engaged was almost too much for him to bear. She was growing so quickly.  
  
"Alright," he finally said. "I'll give the boy my blessing, but only on one condition. My condition."  
  
"Fair enough," replied Rilla, beaming at her husband. They returned to the parlor where Will, unable to sit any longer, was pacing the room. He looked up at them expectantly.  
  
"You have our blessing, Will. We've always thought of you like a son and it would be nice to make that official. But I have one condition."  
  
A condition? What sort of condition could he have? The relief that had flooded Will only moments ago quickly receded.  
  
"I ask that you wait at least a year after you return before you actually marry her. That will be time enough for the house and for you to adjust to a life of peace again."  
  
Ken did not bother to explain that Will would never completely adjust to a 'life of peace' if he fought in this war. There were times even now that Ken would wake up from a nightmare in a cold sweat, reliving the battles he had fought, remembering the comrades he had seen fall in front of his eyes and the men he himself had killed. His heart ached for this relatively innocent young man standing before him. He, along with Walter, Joseph, and countless others, would see the dark side of life all too soon.  
  
Will, fortunately, did not know of these dark thoughts circling in Ken's mind. He latched on to the relatively simple condition that had been laid before him and a smile slowly crept across his face. For the first time in a month, he felt truly happy.  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Ford. It makes me very happy to have your blessing. Now, could I ask one more favor if it's not too much trouble?"  
  
Ken Ford grinned and shook his head.  
  
"Take her to Glen St. Mary, if that's where she wants to go. And go alone. I know from personal experience that it is difficult to romance a girl when people are interrupting you."  
  
He didn't need to say any more. Will was already out of the parlor and in the hall. His body language clearly stated that he wanted to go upstairs to get Chris, but he held himself back. Rilla smiled.  
  
"I'll go get her," she said. Will smiled his thanks and waited nervously. He had gotten over one hurdle. Would he have the courage to jump the next one?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Ha ha ha. Aren't I mean? I'm going to let you dangle here for a bit (not more than two days I promise) because I have an idea in my head for a story that's been bugging me for a week now and I must at least get started on it before it drives me mad. Please review, though! 


	20. Chris's Birthday Surprise: Part 2

A/N: I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this update, but it just wasn't coming out right. I hope you enjoy this chapter and forgive me.  
  
Gufa: I'LL MISS YOU!! Have a fantastic Christmas vacation and I may just write to you. I, too, love chocolate cake and rainy days. While I was writing that part, all I could think of was Bill Cosby and his 'Chocolate Cake for Breakfast' routine on his 'Bill Cosby Himself' album. If you haven't heard it, you should. It's very funny. I'll try to work the King family in a little more, but it's kind of difficult.  
  
Anonymous327: SEVEN!! Wait a minute. EIGHT!! You must have more patience than I do. I only have four and I don't even live with them anymore. They still get on my nerves. I thought it would be perfect for Ken to not want to 'give up his little girl' and I was sure that Rilla was the only one who could convince him.  
  
Beck: I love any type of review, as long as I don't get flamed. So you just keep on reviewing and I'll keep on writing. Thanks for your compliment. I am sorry I didn't get this chapter up sooner, but my muse inspired me in the direction of Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: LOL. Hopefully, you know where I'm going with this now. I just reread my chapter and I realize it could be a bit misleading. I'm glad you understand it, though.  
  
PhiloNysh: Always good to hear from you, my friend.  
  
WhenAngelsCry: Hello there! Welcome aboard! I love getting new reviewers. Thank you for the compliment on my writing. And I can't make any promises about Will or Walter, but I'll do my best to keep them safe.  
  
Steph: Yes, Will has to go fight. I haven't figured out yet how to write his departure, but I'm hoping I won't make it too depressing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Gilbert, do get that sour look off your face. They'll be here any minute."  
  
"I still don't like this."  
  
"Nonsense. I think it's very romantic. Come help me with the lunch."  
  
Gilbert reluctantly rose and followed his wife into their kitchen. She had been cooking nonstop since Rilla had called and informed them of Chris and Will's impending visit. Her face was flushed with excitement as she carried a chocolate cake to the table. Gilbert eyed it with a bit of distaste. Chocolate cake was not his favorite thing in the world.  
  
"Don't you think she had enough chocolate cake this morning?" he inquired.  
  
"No, I do not. What a ridiculous thing to say, Gil darling. One can never have too much chocolate. Besides, Will didn't have any chocolate cake. And Faith and the children will be over as well. I wish Jem could come."  
  
"And I wish I'd gone with him to Four Winds this morning," Gilbert said grumpily. Anne merely smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Don't be so grumpy, Gil. The only reason you're not ecstatic about this is because Rilla told us about Will planning to propose to Chris."  
  
"She's too young," Gilbert replied, echoing his son-in-law.  
  
"You're as bad as Ken, Gil," Anne shot back, sailing breezily past him with a smile.  
  
"She is too young," repeated Gilbert, putting extra emphasis on his 'is'. Anne paid him no heed. Gil had been in such a mood since he had learned of his granddaughter's impending engagement. Why did men have to make things so complicated?  
  
"Will loves her very much. And she loves him. Besides, Rilla explained that they wouldn't be married until-. They won't be married for a while, yet."  
  
Anne couldn't bring herself to say 'after the war'. If she did, then the happiness of the day would be spoiled. Gilbert saw his chance to bring up a good argument.  
  
"And if they won't be married for a while, then what's the point in proposing now? Why make her wait all those years?"  
  
"When did you become opposed to long engagements, Gil?" Anne inquired as she checked on her chicken. Gilbert's face fell as he remembered the three years between his proposal to Anne and their actual wedding.  
  
"Why do you always have to be right?" he finally asked after a moment of silence. "You've taken away every one of my arguments."  
  
Anne walked over and wrapped her arms around him. He looked into her eyes and was unable to keep his grumpy mood in tact. He grinned at her and Anne rewarded him with a kiss. When she pulled back, she returned his grin.  
  
"That's much better, Gil. Now please be nice to your future son-in-law. I'm sure he's very nervous and he doesn't need you giving him your Spanish Inquisition bit."  
  
"I beg your pardon?!" exclaimed Gilbert. His face held a shocked expression. Anne rolled her eyes.  
  
"You know very well what I mean, Gilbert Blythe. It's a wonder Di and Jack ever got married at all. Poor Jack. You'd known him his whole life, but you still saw fit to frighten him half to death."  
  
"Oh, Jack just has no sense of humor."  
  
"He does have a sense of humor. It's exactly like yours. Now, are you going to stand here and argue with me about the personality traits of our son-in-law, or are you going to help me?"  
  
She made a move to go past him, but Gilbert caught her hand and pulled her close.  
  
"Not so fast, Anne-girl. I rather like to argue with you. It means we get to make up."  
  
Anne's eyes shone as Gilbert pulled her in for another kiss.  
  
*************************************Later  
  
Chris enjoyed herself immensely at Ingleside, but there was a small cloud over her otherwise perfect day. Will seemed very ill at ease and she could only guess it had something to do with the fact that her grandfather kept giving him stern looks throughout the meal. It was all very puzzling to Chris. Grandfather had always liked Will before. Why had he changed his mind?  
  
Not long after lunch, Chris whisked Will away from her grandfather and off to Rainbow Valley. It hadn't rained much in Glen St. Mary and the rain had stopped altogether just a few minutes after Chris and Will left Green Gables. Will had never been to Rainbow Valley and Chris was eager to show him what a beautiful place it was.  
  
Now that they were alone, Will seemed more like his old self. They talked about everything and nothing as they strolled along the paths so many lovers had walked upon. For Chris, it was a pretend day. As long as they were in Rainbow Valley, hidden from the rest of the civilized world, there was no war. Here, she could pretend that Walter, Joseph, and all the other boys were home and that Sara was still alive.  
  
Just as they were leaving Rainbow Valley, Cecelia Blythe came running towards them, her red curls streaking behind her like flames. She obviously had some exciting news.  
  
"Mother wants to know if you'd like to go to Four Winds."  
  
Chris's eyes lit up. She loved Four Winds and Will hadn't been there, yet. But Will had his eyes on something else.  
  
"I wish we could, Cecelia, but I think we better get back to Ingleside and then head home."  
  
Chris started to protest, but she noticed Will looking at the sky. Looking up, she saw the reason for his refusal. Dark clouds were gathering in the distance, but it was obvious they were headed that way. If they hurried, they might be able to beat the storm back to Avonlea. Cecelia, too, had seen the clouds and nodded understandingly before turning and heading for her own home. It looked as if the entire trip would be off for her family as well.  
  
********************************************  
  
They left Ingleside just a few minutes before the rain started. And once it started, it poured all over them. What began as tiny little drops soon turned into a torrential downpour and Will was overtaken by a bad mood. Why was it raining now? He had planned on proposing to Chris that very evening in Hester Gray's garden. This storm ruined his plans. Chris sensed his mood and wisely said very little to him as they were driving home. This was probably a good thing in part. The roads were so slick and the rain so heavy that Will needed to keep all his focus on driving.  
  
But Chris's hopes for a completely enjoyable day were completely dashed just a few miles away from Avonlea. She didn't need to ask Will what had happened. She had experienced the sensation before. Stuck in the storm and the mud and the rain, they were the proud possessors of a flat tire.  
  
Will got out and rooted around for the spare, but he knew it would do no good. How could he change a flat tire on a muddy road? Disappointed, drenched, and rather angry, he made a snap decision.  
  
"You stay here, Chris," he directed as he opened her door and poked his head inside the car. Her eyes flashed at him.  
  
"In this storm? I don't think so. Where are you going?"  
  
"The Sloane place is only a mile or two from here. I'm going to walk there and phone for someone to come get us. I can't change a flat tire on this muddy road. There's nothing to support the car."  
  
She knew this to be true, but she wasn't about to be left on the side of the road.  
  
"Then I'm coming with you."  
  
"No, you're not," he said firmly. "You'll get sick in this wet weather and then I'll have everyone down on me for not leaving you in the car in the first place. Not to mention the fact that I don't want you to get sick."  
  
"I'm not a delicate little flower, Will."  
  
"You're my delicate little flower," he said with his most charming smile. In this case, his charm failed to work. Chris had made up her mind and she was just as stubborn as her grandmother, which did not bode well for Will's argument.  
  
"I'm going," she said with an air of finality. That, coupled with the lift of her chin, made Will realize that he had no hope of winning this one.  
  
"Alright, but put this over your head," he said, helping her out of the car and placing his jacket over her head like a shawl.  
  
"But you'll get wet," Chris replied.  
  
"I'm already drenched, Chris. That jacket isn't going to help me anymore, but it will keep most of the rain off your head. I wish we had an umbrella in the car."  
  
It was soon apparent that an umbrella would have done them no good. The wind kicked up, blowing rain into their faces and bodies, making them shiver with cold. Chris tried to get Will to take his jacket back, but he insisted she keep it. They made a rather pitiful sight, really, walking down the road in the pouring rain. Chris kept hoping that some familiar face would drive by and take them home, but it was obvious that she and Will had been the only ones crazy enough to go for a drive that day.  
  
Will was lost in his own thoughts. His question burned inside of him and the nervousness he had felt for so much of the day had all but disappeared. He wanted to ask Chris to marry him today. He had planned it for over five months. The amethyst ring Lorelei had helped him pick out was practically crying out to be put on Chris's finger. He had heard her say once how much she loved amethysts and had gone to great pains to find one. It hadn't been easy, buying this ring. But he had worked long and hard on his grandfather's farm, saving each penny he earned. It wasn't a big ring. Chris hated ostentatious jewelry. But he was almost sure she would like this ring.  
  
Thinking about it proved too much for Will. He had to do this now. It all seemed very odd, proposing to the love of his life in the middle of a rainstorm, but he had to do it. Grabbing Chris's hand, he pulled her to a stop.  
  
Chris looked at Will, puzzled. What on Earth was wrong with him? He had an odd look in his eyes. A look that Chris had never seen before.  
  
"Will, are you alright? What is it?"  
  
"Chris, I've got something important to tell you."  
  
"Now?"  
  
"Yes, now. A lot of things have happened in the past year. Some of those things have been absolutely terrible. When my sister died, I felt so empty. It was as if I'd lost a part of myself. I still feel that way, but when I'm with you, it isn't so hard. You've been my strength these past few weeks, Chris. And I want to thank you for that."  
  
"You're welcome," she replied, moving to give him a hug. But he stopped her.  
  
"I'm not finished. With all these terrible things happening, it made me start wondering. What would be the most terrible thing that could ever happen to me? It didn't take me long to come up with an answer. The most terrible thing I could think of was living a life without you by my side."  
  
Chris felt her heart began to pound as Will slowly sank to one knee. Was this real? Or was she dreaming?  
  
"Chris, I love you. I'll always love you. Will you marry me?"  
  
The tears that stung her eyes served to assure her that this was definitely real. In the middle of a rainstorm, with one of his knees firmly planted on the wet, wet ground, William Pike had just proposed to her. And it didn't take her long to answer.  
  
"Yes."  
  
She had planned to say more, but got no further. Will jumped up and kissed her. His jacket fell off her head and onto the ground. Both of them were soon drenched, but neither of them cared. They were still standing by the side of the road, kissing, when Ken Ford and Gus Pike, having been sent out by a worried Rilla and Felicity, found them and brought them home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: I hope you're happy with the chapter! And I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hanukkah! 


	21. Leslie's Decision

A/N: By popular demand, I hereby dedicate this chapter to Leslie. It has been a while since we've heard from her and, over the Christmas holidays, I was inspired to do something with her. That particular thing won't happen for a couple of chapters, but this will get the ball rolling. Hope you enjoy!  
  
Just I: She is young, this is true. But, as our favorite redhead pointed out, the wedding won't take place until after the war. We all know, of course, that the war won't end until 1945 and, by then, Chris will be nearly 22. That's how old I was when I got married, so I figure it's a fairly decent age. I had to put the part about Anne and Gil in. I've always loved their chemistry together. Maybe I should write a short story about their post-wedding, pre-children days. Hmmmmm.  
  
Ruby: I'm glad you're happy about the engagement. I had the toughest time trying to decide what the stone should be in the ring, until I remembered that passage in one of the 'Anne' books about how disappointed she was when she found out diamonds weren't purple. Enter the amethyst ring. I hope you get enough 'Joseph and Leslie' to satisfy you in this chapter. Happy Birthday! Or late birthday, depending on when you read this (or when I finally get it posted).  
  
Anonymous327: Did you like the proposal? I didn't have much experience to draw from. My husband, though he has many qualities, could never be accused of being poetic. That's okay, though. I suppose he's cute enough for me to overlook that. I was hoping I didn't get too sickly sweet when I wrote the proposal. And was I mean to make you wait the entire chapter for the proposal?  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: I'm so glad you think it was worth the wait. Hope you had a merry Christmas!  
  
Meredithblithe: You're so sweet! It makes me feel good when someone mentions me and LMM in the same sentence. In the same paragraph, even. I hope you like where the story goes after this.  
  
Beck: I made you squeal! You like my characters that much? Thank you! Of course, this also comes with a downfall. If you're this excited when good things happen to them, how will you feel if something bad happens to them? (Don't you hate when people say cryptic things like that?)  
  
Marzoog: LOL. I had this mental picture in my head of Felicity herding Gus out the door to go find her son. It was really kind of funny. As for the matchmaking, as one of my favorite movie characters (Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell) once said, 'Patience is a virtue.'  
  
Miri: Gasps and squeals?! I'm flattered. I'm glad you think Will and Chris are so perfect for each other. Don't worry too much about Lorelei. I don't like sad endings. Families always go crazy over engagements and I loved writing about that. Sorry I didn't get this chapter up in time for your birthday. Please forgive me!  
  
Steph: I've always loved movie scenes where people kiss in the rain, too. I think it's very romantic to be so wrapped up in the other person that you don't even care that you're getting soaked. And I wanted so badly to write a little about Anne and Gil. I just couldn't resist.  
  
Faerie5: It's been my experience that fathers and grandfathers are a bit overprotective sometimes. My own father met one of his sister's dates at the door with a shotgun. (He had been cleaning it.) He wasn't much better when I started dating. Somehow, though, I still managed to get married.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~December 2, 1940  
  
She sank into the cushions of the sofa with a sigh of relief. Her work here was done and she had earned some well deserved rest. But no sooner had she sat down than -.  
  
"BRRINNG! BRRINNG!"  
  
With a groan, Leslie stood up and went into the kitchen to answer the phone. She knew who it was before she even picked up the receiver.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Are you coming home for supper, Leslie?"  
  
"No, Chris. I'm not finished here yet."  
  
"But you've been over there all afternoon. It can't be that dirty. Do you want some help?"  
  
"No, thank you. Just a couple of hours more. That's all I need. Tell mother I have some food over here."  
  
"Okay. I'll see you later."  
  
" 'Bye."  
  
Leslie hung up, her face burning with shame. This is what she had come to? Lying to her sister about being done just so she could spend more time in this house? The conversation on the phone only served to reinforce the decision she had come to last night. She had to get away from Avonlea.  
  
She returned to the sofa, plopping down on it rather unceremoniously. Her eyes scoured the room, treasuring every tiny thing she saw. It was beginning to become hard to be in this house, yet she longed to be here most of the time. It was where she felt closest to Joseph. And it was where she had taken to reading his letters.  
  
Leslie pulled the latest epistle, sent just last month, from her pocket. It was a short letter. Joseph rarely wrote long ones anymore. But he still managed to convey how much he loved her.  
  
'My Dearest Leslie,  
  
I fear this letter will be even shorter than the rest have been. We have orders to move out in just an hour, but I've managed to snag some time and send a word to you. I don't know if I shall have this chance again anytime soon.  
  
I had that dream again last night. The one where you and I are walking by the shore. You look so beautiful in that dream of mine, Leslie, with the moonlight shining down on you. It almost hurts me when I wake up to find you're not there after all. But that dream has kept me from giving up on several occasions, my love.  
  
It's time for me to go. I'm sorry this letter can't be much longer than a simple note, but I'll have the rest of my life to let you know just how I feel about you. And I intend to take full advantage of every opportunity I get to do so. I'll see you tonight, Leslie. Promise to meet me in my dreams. It will have to do until I can hold you in my arms again. Until then, I remain  
  
Eternally Yours,  
  
Joseph'  
  
Leslie sighed again as she folded up the now worn piece of paper and pressed it to her lips before returning it to her pocket. She felt the tears in her eyes, but bravely fought them back. She could no longer count the number of times she had cried herself to sleep over the past few months. The ache in her heart was growing every day and Chris's engagement certainly wasn't helping matters.  
  
To her credit, Leslie realized that it was ridiculous to resent Chris. Especially when Chris would be experiencing the same thing Leslie was. Will had already announced his plans to enlist on his birthday, which was only one week away. But emotions can not be ruled by logic all the time. Leslie had reached the end of her rope and was tired of trying to be reasonable. There were times when she was certain that the amethyst on her sister's left hand was laughing at her.  
  
"I'm going crazy," she said out loud. "This place is making me crazy."  
  
Was it possible that she was beginning to hate Avonlea? No. That couldn't be. She had always loved Avonlea. It was her home. But it was too full of memories and memories were something that Leslie was growing very tired of. Everywhere she turned, she thought of Joseph and it was becoming torturous.  
  
She knew her family was worried about her. She had begun to lose weight and her face was growing pale, except for the dark circles under her eyes. Leslie had given up on having a good night's sleep. Such a thing had become impossible ever since Sara had been killed. She still grieved for her childhood playmate and girlhood friend. And the fact that an innocent civilian like Sara had been killed had only fueled thoughts of the things that were done to soldiers. Her imagination had become overrun with all the things that could happen to Joseph and that was the end of peace for Leslie.  
  
Although she had reassured her family several times that she was okay, she knew they didn't believe her. But they didn't press the matter, either. She was grateful for that. Somehow, she just didn't think it would help if they knew all the things she'd been thinking over the past few months.  
  
What really irritated Leslie the most was all the stares she got whenever she went into town. She had seen the town gossips whispering. She knew they were talking about her. Just last week, she had overheard Mrs. Moody Spurgeon say, 'Poor Leslie Ford. It's likely she'll just waste away before Joseph Keith ever gets back.'  
  
To be pitied by a Spurgeon! It really was unbearable. And, just to add insult to injury, this particular Spurgeon was also a Pye. That was even worse. No, there was just no avoiding it. She had to leave Avonlea.  
  
Rising off the sofa, she went to the kitchen window and gazed thoughtfully out at the snow-covered fields. The view was really quite beautiful. The fields behind Joseph's home had remained unspoiled by the Avonlea children and the setting sun glistened on the undisturbed, pristine layer of white. Had Leslie been in a less pensive mood, she would've taken the time to admire what she was looking at. But, although her eyes saw the beauty that lay before them, her mind did not process it. She was too busy thinking of something else.  
  
Where would she go? Ingleside was the first place that crossed her mind, but she quickly eliminated it. Although she was certain that her grandparents would welcome a lengthy visit, Leslie wasn't sure she even wanted to stay at Ingleside. It was too near home. What she needed was a complete change.  
  
What about college? No. That wouldn't do at all. She had never been much for studies. Matt was the studious one in the family, with Chris running close behind him. College would never work for Leslie. She had no desire for knowledge. What about a stay with Aunt Persis? Again Leslie turned down her inner suggestion. In spite of the fact that she missed her aunt terribly, Australia was just TOO much of a change.  
  
But the thought of Aunt Persis led Leslie to her solution. A small smile crossed her face. She grabbed her coat and hat, made sure there were no lights left on, and headed for Green Gables.  
  
********************************  
  
"Are you sure this is what you want to do, Leslie?"  
  
Leslie resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Chris asked her the same question for the third time that night. They were getting ready for bed and Chris was obviously not going to take this decision well.  
  
"Yes, Chris. I'm sure. Really, you don't need to worry about me. This is what I want. It's what I need to do. Trust me."  
  
"I'll miss you, Leslie. I wish you weren't going. It seems that everyone's leaving. Lorelei will be going to college next fall. Did you hear about that? They're even talking about sending Sylvia off to school. You know how smart she is. I won't have anyone left."  
  
For the first time, Leslie realized what her departure would do to her sister. She looked at Chris for a long time before finally speaking.  
  
"I'm not leaving forever, you know. I'll come back when Alex comes for his visit in July. And I'm staying here for Christmas and the New Year. I'll write to you every day if you want, Chris. Maybe we'll get to 'phone each other once in a while."  
  
Chris seemed to look a little more relaxed, but Leslie could still see the concern on her face.  
  
"If it makes you feel any better," she continued, trying to make her sister smile, "you can cry all you want when I leave."  
  
Chris looked up at her, somewhat stunned at the remark, but she quickly recovered and started to laugh.  
  
"That would be a nice change of pace for us, wouldn't it, Leslie?" she asked.  
  
"It would," Leslie agreed. "And I'll tell you everything that's going on at Uncle Shirley's. And I promise to torment Alex until he begs for mercy."  
  
"That sounds like fun. You must write to me about everything you do to him."  
  
"And you'll have to help me come up with some ideas."  
  
The two girls laughed again and the solemn mood that had pervaded Green Gables for most of the evening was shattered. Rilla and Ken, talking in their own room, smiled at the sound. It was good to hear their girls laugh again. But both parents sighed as they thought of how long it might be before there was a real reason to laugh once more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: For those of you who don't understand, I am sending Leslie to stay with Shirley. She needs to get away from Avonlea because I have bigger plans for her in the near future.  
  
I'm sorry this update took so long, but I've been a busy girl and, unfortunately, December 29 was what we call a 'Jonah day'. All the little things went wrong that day and, sometimes, that's worse than one big thing going wrong. Anyway, I hope this update finds everyone happy and healthy. I wish you all a safe and Happy New Year! (Yes, it's possible to have both) Talk to you next year!  
  
Melanie 


	22. Departure: Part 1

A/N: I am the worst person on the face of the planet! I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I do have some reasons (i.e. excuses). At the risk of alienating my college student readers, I have a confession to make. See, I do most of my writing at work (when we're not busy, of course). And I work as a cashier for a university. Yes, that's right. For those of you not lucky enough to have Pell Grants or Student Loans, I'm the mean woman who takes your money for tuition. I understand if you hate me now.  
  
Anyway, needless to say, it's been very busy around here lately. With school back in session and payment deadlines rearing their ugly heads, I've barely had a chance to check my e-mail. Most of my reading and reviewing is done on my lunch hour. (Do I sound pathetically addicted to ff.net?)  
  
When I finally got a chance to start writing again, my stupid disk wouldn't let me save it. It's the only time I've ever wanted to hurt the poor little kitty on my computer screen. *Disk too full. Unable to complete save.* So I had to buy another disk. But that one wouldn't let me transfer my Christine story to it. Something about an unrecognized document. Thankfully, I've finally got it sorted out and I can get back to writing as usual. I promise I will never let it go this long again. Just please say all of you are still my friends.  
  
Marzoog: I plan on working in some correspondence from Leslie to Chris in the next few chapters to let people know how she is doing. I just hope that she goes along with what I'm planning for her. These characters can be so stubborn sometimes.  
  
Just I: I'm glad you like Leslie, but I hope I haven't made you forget about Chris altogether. She'll be facing some problems of her own soon enough. Especially with both Will and Leslie leaving. Yes, I foresee that things are going to get a lot more complicated for our little Chris.  
  
Steph: Yes, you'll be hearing more about Leslie and Joseph, though maybe not right away. With Leslie leaving, most info about her will be in letters from her to Chris. If I think I'm capable of it, though, I may write a chapter from Leslie's POV after I initiate my big plans for her.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: I'm afraid you'll have to wait through at least two more chapters before you find out the big plans for Leslie. I'm still trying to piece them together. Hope you won't be disappointed with the results.  
  
Miri: Everything seems to be ironed out now (except for the fact that my car is on the fritz. What do you expect from an eighteen-year-old vehicle?) Thanks for your concern. And I'm flattered that you would claim the chapter as a birthday present. Chris will find a few things to do in Avonlea. She has Cecily and don't forget Sylvia.  
  
Faerie5: I'll try to write a little more about Shirley's family. In fact, I was considering doing a story about Shirley, starting right after the war. Tell the story of him and Aurelie. What do you think? As for my father, well, I can only say this. He's a little bit, ahem, intimidating even without the shotgun. About six foot three and very strong with black hair and a black beard. The shotgun was really just a handy prop. Even without it, he's rather frightening. But I still love him. Incidentally, I know I haven't had a chance to review, yet, but I'm really enjoying your new story about Faith. Great job!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~December 18, 1940  
  
Chris sat at the kitchen table of Green Gables, drumming her fingers impatiently. Leslie, who was feeding baby Bryan, glanced at her sister with a small smile.  
  
"Why don't you go for a walk?" she suggested softly. Chris shook her head vehemently.  
  
"It's too cold to go for a walk."  
  
"Read a book, then."  
  
"I've read every book in this house twice over."  
  
"Do some sewing for the Junior Red Cross."  
  
"I'm tired of sewing. I sewed all afternoon yesterday."  
  
"I have an idea. Why don't you just sit here and drive me insane by constantly drumming your fingers on the kitchen table?"  
  
Chris looked at her sister in confusion before realizing what Leslie was saying.  
  
"Sorry," she said. Leslie's good mood was quickly restored.  
  
"It's alright. I understand exactly how you feel, Chris. I won't tell you not to worry about him. It would be a waste of my breath and your time. But I can sympathize with you."  
  
"That's good enough," Chris replied, attempting a smile. The kitchen grew quiet again for a few moments before the drumming started again.  
  
"Chris," said Leslie.  
  
Chris got out of her chair, away from the table and the apparent temptation it was causing her hand. She busied herself by rearranging the cabinets that had been rearranged two days earlier. Leslie shook her head, but said nothing.  
  
"He said half an hour," Chris finally stated after five minutes of clinks and clangs.  
  
"Give him some time, Chris. You're not the only one he has to say goodbye to."  
  
Chris lowered her eyes, properly chastised by her sister's statement, which was all too true. After all, Will had his parents and his sisters. Surely they wanted some of his precious time before he left tomorrow. She sank back into a chair and, planting one elbow on the table, propped her head up with her hand. Leslie watched her for a moment before Bryan made a noise signaling that he was being ignored. The oldest sister turned her full attention back to him and didn't even notice when Chris's face lit up and she flew out of the kitchen.  
  
Will smiled as he saw Chris run past the kitchen window. How did she always know when he was coming up the front walk? He barely made it up the front steps before she came rushing out into the cold air, nearly knocking him off the porch with the force of her hug. Despite the fact that the reason for his visit was a rather sad one, he started to laugh.  
  
"It's not that I particularly mind being greeted this way, but don't you think you should get back inside where it's warm? You're not exactly dressed for cold weather, you know."  
  
Chris blushed at the mention of her clothes and obediently went back inside. Will was close on her heels. He shut the front door softly and then put an arm around Chris's waist. He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear.  
  
"You look beautiful, by the way."  
  
If possible, Chris's face grew even more flushed. This time, however, it was more from the feeling of his breath on her neck than from the compliment. Will grinned. He loved making Chris blush.  
  
Leslie entered the front hall, carrying a sleepy-eyed Bryan in her arms. She smiled a greeting to Will before heading up the stairs to put the baby down for his nap.  
  
"Where's Persis?" Will asked.  
  
"Matt got her to sleep nearly half an hour ago."  
  
Will arched an eyebrow in disbelief. Somehow, he just couldn't picture Matt putting a baby to bed.  
  
"She was in a rather cranky mood and, for some reason, he's the only one in the family who can get her to sleep when she's like that. Not even Mother can do it."  
  
"Speaking of which, where are Matt and your parents?"  
  
"Well, Matt's holed up in his room reading a book. And my parents went into town this morning on some very secretive errands."  
  
"So you're saying we're alone?" he asked, his voice dropping to a whisper once again.  
  
"I guess you could say that. Except for the fact that my sister and brother are just up the stairs and could appear at any moment."  
  
"I'll take that chance," he continued in a low voice. Before she could protest, he had wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her into a kiss.  
  
For a few wonderful moments, Chris was able to forget that Will was leaving tomorrow morning. She was able to forget that he was going to war, that he might not ever come back. It was nice to be able to forget these things.  
  
But she came crashing back to reality all too soon when he pulled away from her and she opened her eyes to see him in his uniform once again. Despite the fact that he looked terribly handsome in it, she hated the uniform. Uniforms meant saying goodbye and saying goodbye was something she was getting very tired of.  
  
Will saw the change come over Chris's face and it affected his own mood somewhat. He had resigned himself months ago to joining up and so was a little better equipped to handle saying goodbye. But he hated seeing Chris unhappy. The word 'unhappy' didn't even belong in the same sentence with his beloved's name. He saw it as his responsibility to cheer her up. He certainly didn't want this look to be the last one he remembered seeing on her face.  
  
"I've come to invite you over to our house tonight for a special Christmas celebration. Mother has decided that Christmas will come early for the Pikes this year. And she specifically asked me to invite you."  
  
Celebrating was the last thing Chris felt like doing at the moment. But she knew it was important to Will and it would be rude to decline Felicity Pike's invitation. After all, Mrs. Pike would be her mother-in-law someday.  
  
"That sounds like fun," she replied. "But wouldn't your family rather have you to themselves tonight? I thought that was the reason for your visit to Green Gables this afternoon."  
  
"No. The reason for my visit this afternoon is so that I could kiss you senseless without the audience known as my family."  
  
He punctuated his statement with yet another kiss. When they broke apart, he was pleased to see that all traces of sorrow were gone from the starry grey eyes he loved so much. Chris smiled up at him.  
  
"You seem to be accomplishing your afternoon goal rather quickly," she said.  
  
"Oh, no. I'm just getting started," he responded, bringing another flush to her cheeks. She pulled away from him and went into the kitchen. He sighed and followed her.  
  
Will sat down at the kitchen table and watched as Chris began to make the afternoon tea. She went through the little ritual with lightning speed and had soon joined him.  
  
"I wish you didn't have to go," she began. Will opened his mouth to cut her off, but she held up a slender hand and he swallowed his words.  
  
"But I understand why you are," she finished. "I'll miss you terribly, Will. And I was rather hoping that our last conversation alone together would take place in a spot more romantic than the kitchen of Green Gables."  
  
"Any room is romantic when you're in it," he told her softly.  
  
"Aren't you poetic today?" she retorted tartly. He grinned at her in reply and she shook her head in exasperation before getting up to tend to the now whistling tea kettle. (A/N: I love those things. I have one that belonged to my grandmother. And, now that you know some totally pointless information about me, I'll get back to the story.)  
  
Leslie walked into the kitchen at that moment, still carrying a baby. Will looked at her in surprise.  
  
"He wouldn't go to sleep?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, he went to sleep, alright," Leslie answered. "But his twin sister decided that it was time for her to get up."  
  
Will laughed, but Chris looked concerned.  
  
"She didn't sleep nearly as long as she usually does. Do you suppose she's sick?"  
  
Before Leslie could protest, Chris lifted Persis out of her arms. Will looked on in amusement as Leslie finished making the tea and responded to her sister's question with a hint of annoyance in her voice.  
  
"If she were sick, Chris, she probably would have slept longer than she usually does. She's just being difficult today. You worry about her too much."  
  
Chris, ever the mature one, stuck her tongue out at her older sister. Leslie raised her eyebrows while Will laughed outright.  
  
"That's very inappropriate behavior from an engaged woman," Leslie sniffed playfully.  
  
"Ah, but I've never been known for my penchant for doing the appropriate thing," came the reply. Even Leslie had to agree with this statement. Tiring of teasing her sister, she turned to Will. Though she knew it would darken the mood, she had a question to ask him.  
  
"When are you leaving tomorrow, Will?"  
  
Will glanced at Chris, who signaled that she hadn't told her family all the details. He nodded and turned back to Leslie.  
  
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning, when the rest of you will be in church. That's why I came to say goodbye to Chris tonight. I wouldn't want anyone in Avonlea thinking she had become a heathen simply because I left."  
  
His light-hearted comment about the gossips of Avonlea served to keep the conversation from being too serious. Leslie had no doubt that, if Chris had gone to say goodbye at the train station, she probably would have had every righteous lady in Avonlea praying for her soul.  
  
"Will has invited me to his house tonight, Leslie. Do you suppose Mother and Father will mind?"  
  
"I seriously doubt that they would have any objections."  
  
"Objections about what?"  
  
The new voice in the room caused everyone to turn and see Rilla Ford coming in the kitchen door. Behind her, Ken struggled with several brown paper packages. Will immediately stood up to help him and the two disappeared into the other room.  
  
"Objections about going over to the Pike's tonight," Leslie informed her mother. Rilla swung her eyes over to Chris.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Pike are having an early Christmas celebration tonight and they've invited me."  
  
"Of course we don't mind. What strange questions you ask sometimes, Chris. Go and have fun."  
  
Will reappeared at that moment and announced that he had to be getting home. Chris walked with him to the door, while the rest of her family respectfully remained in the kitchen.  
  
"Must you really go so soon?" she inquired.  
  
"I have to. I've got a lot of things to do before tonight. Don't worry, though. I'll be back at six to get you. Hey, do me a favor. Wear that red velvet dress of yours."  
  
"Oh, Will that's far too fancy for a small celebration."  
  
"Mother said everyone was going to dress up. And that's my favorite dress of yours. You always look like a queen in it. Of course, you look like a queen no matter what you wear."  
  
"Thank you, kind sir."  
  
Will put his hand on the doorknob and turned to go, but stopped suddenly.  
  
"I just remembered that I haven't accomplished my afternoon goal, yet," he said.  
  
"No, you haven't," was the bold reply. Chris's heart beat furiously as Will leaned in for another kiss. It was soft and tender and she let the world melt away as he held her in his arms. When they pulled away from each other, he smiled at her and kissed her on the tip of her nose.  
  
"I'll see you tonight," he whispered. Chris nodded and watched as he walked out into the snow, whistling a tune she vaguely recognized. When he was out of sight, she sighed and leaned against the doorframe. How was she ever going to get along without him?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: I know, I know. But I just can't bear to send him off yet. I'm dragging his departure out unnecessarily, but I can't help it. I don't want him to go! Oh, what was I thinking? Why couldn't I have written him with some sort of minor physical problem that wouldn't matter in every day life, but would keep him out of the military? I'll tell you why. Because then we wouldn't have a story, that's why. I promise, he shall leave in the next chapter.  
  
Please, please, please review. And, if you're a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, will you please take a look at one of my stories there? 'Welcome to the Carribean, Luv' and 'A Family Matter'. *Cough* Shameless plug. *Cough*. I just need some helpful thoughts on those. See ya laterz. 


	23. Departure: Part 2

A/N: I'm back! And I have so many new reviewers! Thank you, thank you. I love getting new reviewers.  
  
Disclaimer: I see that it's time for one of these again. Believe me, if I owned anything of L. M. Montgomery's, (talent, imagination, creations, etc.) I would be trying to make money out of my own original stories.  
  
Victoria Regina: Enraptured? *blushes* My, you do pay a pretty compliment. I love that word. And I made you cry? Part of me feels rather bad about that. I don't like seeing people cry. But the other part of me is a little proud that my writing affected you so deeply.  
  
Gufa: You are right. It is about time that I updated. I apologize again for all the delays. I don't do it on purpose. Honestly, I don't.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: I always wanted my entrance to be heralded by music. Thank you very much.  
  
PhiloNysh: Carrying on, as you requested.  
  
Sweettooth: You're so nice! I'm revealing some plans for Lorelei in a couple of chapters. I am sorry, but all questions must be submitted in writing. Wait a minute. You did submit it in writing. Well, I still can't answer them. The Pirate's Code won't allow it. Yeah, that's it. The Pirate's Code. Sure.  
  
Steph: Give up? Never. I'm even revising my 'Pat' fic. (The second one.) And I'm glad I can make you smile. That makes me feel good. I make no promises for Will, but I promise there will be letters. Dangling preposition? Darn. I hate those. Sorry.  
  
Leiko: Hello! I'm glad you're enjoying my story so much. But don't get yourself into trouble over it. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Tonight was wonderful, Will. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it."  
  
"I don't think I will, either."  
  
Chris and Will were sitting in the front parlor of Shadowbrook. Cecily and Lorelei were cleaning up the dining room while Gus and Felicity were in the kitchen doing the same thing. Chris and Will had tried to help, but had been booted out of both rooms rather unceremoniously and left to their own devices.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't get you more than what I did," Will apologized. Chris looked at him and smiled.  
  
"I believe you've given more than enough this year," she replied, admiring the amethyst that sparkled on her left hand. "Besides, that book looks thick enough to keep me busy for a while. You gave me something that will take my mind off things. Thank you."  
  
"That's exactly what I was hoping it would do. Promise not to read more than one chapter a day. I know you and your books. You'll get interested in it and finish it off in a matter of days. That will defeat the entire purpose."  
  
"I promise not to read more than one chapter a day," Chris said, holding a hand over her heart. "And now I have something for you."  
  
"But you already gave me my present," Will protested.  
  
"The pocket knife was your present to open in front of your family. I have another present for you."  
  
Will watched, puzzled, as Chris went to the mantle of the fire place and pulled out a very slim package from behind the wedding portrait of Gus and Felicity. She brought it over and handed it to him gingerly.  
  
"Be careful with it," she said. "It's not breakable, but it might rip."  
  
"So Cecily was right about the presents. How did you keep it from her?" he asked as he began tearing gently at the paper. Cecily had been the one to hand out gifts to everybody and, once she had finished handing out the presents from under the tree, had insisted that there was one more somewhere.  
  
"I have my ways," came the cryptic reply. She watched as Will tore off the rest of the paper and was quite satisfied by the look that spread over his face.  
  
"Who did this?" he asked.  
  
"My cousin Susan. Alex's sister. She's wonderful, isn't she?"  
  
Will held the paper in front of him, unable to tear his eyes away from it. It was the picture that Susan had drawn in Rainbow Valley and it was a beautiful likeness of Chris. In the picture, Chris was sitting up against a tree, thoroughly engrossed in the book she held in her hands. Every line, every feature of her face was captured perfectly and Will was astonished at the way the picture seemed to have a life of its own.  
  
"Do you like it, Will?"  
  
"I love it. I'll keep it with me while I'm gone and I'll look at it every day."  
  
It was the first time his departure had been mentioned that night and Chris immediately felt the change in the mood. Her first impulse was to throw her arms around Will and beg him not to go. She needed him here, with her. This was where he belonged. Will had never wanted to leave the Island. Why should he have to go?  
  
Though she didn't say these things, Will saw them all in her eyes. He didn't want to leave any more than she wanted him to go. For a moment, he resented the blasted army and the blasted pride of Canada. But then his eyes fell on the picture of Sara that rested on a nearby table. The moment quickly passed. He turned his attention back to Chris.  
  
"I feel the same way you do, Chris. But we both know this has to be done. And, on the brighter side, I won't actually be going overseas for a while. Perhaps the war will be over before that happens."  
  
They both knew that would not be the case. The war overseas was quickly escalating. And it was anyone's guess as to when the fighting would end. But Chris appreciated Will's efforts to cheer her up. He stepped closer to her and put his arms around her, drawing her close.  
  
Chris rested her head against Will and breathed deeply. She closed her eyes and began to etch every part of this moment into her memory. Will was doing the same. Who knew when he would be able to hold her like this again? They stood like that for quite a while, neither of them speaking for fear of breaking the spell that seemed to surround them.  
  
Unfortunately, they couldn't stay like that forever. It was with great reluctance that they finally stepped away from each other. Chris's eyes fell on the clock that hung above the fireplace and her mouth dropped open in dismay.  
  
"Will, it's nearly eleven-thirty," she stated softly. He had promised to have her home by eleven o'clock. Chris knew she wouldn't be in trouble, considering the circumstances, but the hands of the clock told her that she would have to say goodbye all too soon.  
  
"I'll get the coats," he said, his tone just as subdued as Chris's.  
  
Chris found herself alone in the room and quite unsure of how to handle herself. She had spent weeks preparing herself for these last moments with Will. Now that the time had arrived, she felt very unsure of herself. Could she let him go without bursting into tears? The last thing Will needed was to have her crying in his arms when he was the one that would be going into battle.  
  
"God, please give me strength. Please help me."  
  
This short prayer was not the first one of its kind to leave her lips. But it was the most urgent. As she said the words, she felt a wonderful, warm feeling spread through her. The strength she had felt ebbing away only moments ago was beginning to return full force and she knew she would be able to see this through to the end.  
  
********************************  
  
The night air was crisp and very cold. Any person in their right minds would've taken the car from Shadowbrook to Green Gables. But Will and Chris were in love and, as anyone who has ever been in love knows, they were not in their right minds. Besides, if they took the car, Chris would be home in a matter of two or three minutes. In this way, they lengthened their time together.  
  
In defiance of all that was normal, they also walked slowly through the winter night. The walk that usually took around ten minutes took twenty this time. Most of the time was spent in silence as they walked along, hand in hand. Will took in every bit of scenery he could, which included Chris.  
  
He looked over at her every now and then, studying her so intently that he could see the outline of her eyelashes against her creamy skin. He wanted to memorize every curve, every feature of her face. Common sense told him that, having known her since she was a child, he would surely be able to recall how she looked without any problem. But Will was not in the mood to be sensible. Besides, it gave him an excuse to look at her as much as he wanted to. Then again, he had never really needed an excuse.  
  
They both slowed their steps as they neared Green Gables and came to a stop completely at the little gate in the front. Neither wanted to open it. Opening it seemed to symbolize the end of their last night together. Irrationally, Chris gave the innocent gate a black look before finally pushing it open with a little more force than was necessary. The gate gave a little squeak of protest, as if to defend itself.  
  
Will saw Chris up to the door. Standing on the porch, he gazed into her eyes thoughtfully. She looked down and he frowned a little. Placing his finger under her chin, he raised her head until her eyes met his once again. He thought he caught a glimmer of a tear, but it was gone as fast as it had appeared. He drew her closer to him until her head rested against his shoulder.  
  
"I love you, Christine," he whispered against her hair.  
  
"I love you, too, William," came the reply. She lifted her head to look up at him and was promptly rewarded with a kiss.  
  
As Will kissed her, she pushed away the thought that this was their last kiss for what was probably going to be a long time. Such thoughts only resulted in sorrow. She had no use for sorrow at the moment. No. Right now, she was simply going to enjoy the feel of Will's arms around her and the warmth of his lips on hers.  
  
"I won't say good-bye," Will told her as he reluctantly pulled away. He still held her close, though.  
  
"No," agreed Chris. "Goodbye is too final a word. And we won't use farewell, either. It's more flowery, but just as bad."  
  
"Any word or phrase that pops in our minds will not do, Chris. They're all too sad. All too final. So, I will say only this."  
  
He began to release her and Chris realized that the moment she'd been dreading for weeks had finally arrived. Will started towards the steps, still holding onto Chris's hand. He looked at her for one long moment before speaking.  
  
"I will come back, Chris."  
  
Despite the fact that every fiber of her being wanted to cry, Chris managed to do something else. She didn't miss the joy in Will's eyes when he saw her smile at him reassuringly.  
  
"I'll be waiting, Will."  
  
He gazed at her a moment longer before turning and briskly making his way back to the gate and the main road. She watched him disappear down the lane, all the while whispering a plea to him.  
  
"Don't turn around, don't turn around, don't turn around."  
  
If he turned around, she knew she would cry. She watched him until he was out of sight and breathed a ragged sigh of relief. He had never looked back. She had been able to keep her composure. But, once inside and in her room, her resolve was gone. No sooner had she laid her head on the pillow than she felt the tears well up in her eyes again. This time, she had neither the strength nor the inclination to fight them. And so they fell, unchecked.  
  
Leslie heard her sister's quiet sobs and longed to comfort her. But she knew better than that. She could give no real comfort to Chris. Not tonight. Tonight, Chris needed to be alone. There would be time for comforting later.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Whew! Well, now! Wasn't that depressing? I'm sorry, but it's the way things are going to be for a couple of chapters. It's war, for crying out loud. The only time war is funny is when you're watching episodes of M*A*S*H. Well, actually, it's not even the war then, is it? Oh, well.  
  
I promise to lighten the mood a little later on. But I couldn't very well have them saying cheerful goodbyes as if Will were going on a road trip with some of his buddies, now could I?  
  
Anyway, review, review, review. And, if this chapter is slightly off, I apologize. I am currently under the influence of Nyquil, and it tends to give me a buzz. Dayquil puts me to sleep, though. Yes, I know. I'm weird. 


	24. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

A/N: Here we are again! Things are really starting to slow down now so, hopefully, I'll be able to get a new chapter up every couple of days or so from now on, instead of a couple of weeks. I was almost to the finishing stages on this one, but my great-grandmother died and my life took a small detour into Mississippi for a few days. This will be another Leslie chapter. Hope you enjoy! BTW, has anyone heard anything about Ruby Gillis lately? She hasn't updated or reviewed in a while. I'm getting kind of worried.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: Thanks for my first review! I do plan on a bit of a roller coaster ride. And I'll try not to be cruel. I think you spelled 'beseech' just right. You must have, because my spell check didn't correct it. (But it corrected me when I tried to make 'spell check' one word.) Oh, well. Thanks for the good wishes.  
  
Leiko: I believe you'll be getting a little bit more of Lorelei in the next chapter. But I can't be positive. These characters have minds of their own, and Lorelei is the most unpredictable one of the bunch at the moment.  
  
Beck: Never lose hope. It is a bad thing to do. But I understand your feelings and I apologize again for waiting so long to update. It really was beyond my control. You are right, I won't answer the question about Will. But I will say that I don't plan on being cruel. At least, not too cruel. *Grins evilly* I'm glad you like my fanfic so much and your compliments make me blush. Thank you very much.  
  
Gufa: Yes, it does have to be sad, unfortunately. War is a horrible thing. I'm glad you thought that Will and Chris behaved just like they should. The hardest part of writing the goodbye was trying to make sure that they stayed in character.  
  
Marzoog: I feel bad for Chris and Will. Really, I felt almost guilty while I was writing their goodbyes. As if I was solely responsible for WWII.  
  
Steph: I'm making you cry again? I'm sorry. But I'm happy that you like my story well enough to get so involved in it.  
  
PhiloNysh: It WAS depressing. It was even depressing to write. But, as you said, a story has to have conflict. Glad you liked it.  
  
Sweettooth: Yay! Another review! I hope it wasn't sickly sweet or anything like that. You know what I mean. Too sweet. But I'm glad you enjoyed it.  
  
Yet another A/N: Glancing over my 'shout-outs' to reviewers, I've realized that I say the word 'glad' a lot. So sorry if this annoys you. Chalk it up to frequent viewings of the movie 'Pollyanna'. If you've seen the movie, you know what I mean by this statement. If you haven't, I only have this to say. For heaven's sake, go rent the movie! It's so sweet!  
  
P.S. JOHNNY DEPP WAS ROBBED!!!!!!!!! Well, now that I got that out of my system, let's get on with the story, shall we?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~March 28, 1941  
  
"Do you suppose America will join the war, Leslie?"  
  
The words caught Leslie Ford off guard. She looked up from the letter to Chris she had been composing and gazed thoughtfully at her new friend. Leslie had never known anyone quite like Debra Bailey. She was unique in both personality and appearance. Tall and athletic, with cropped golden- brown hair and dark green eyes, she was not beautiful by any standards of the fashion of the day. But her looks were striking and undeniably captivating. She often reminded Leslie of Chris when it came to her concern with propriety and what others thought. Chris, however, had never been as forthright with her thoughts as Debra was. Leslie had found her a refreshing change from her 'friends' in Avonlea. Looking back, she realized that they were all simpering, silly girls, who never gave a thought to anything except their appearance and what other people in Avonlea were up to. And, as much as it pained her to admit it, she had been just like them.  
  
Debra's question had posed a bit of a problem for Leslie. On one hand, she was of the opinion that the States would not be able to go through the war untouched. But, on the other hand, she didn't want to worry her friend. Debra, born and raised in Vancouver, had met and married a medical ensign in the United States Navy three years ago, not long after she turned eighteen. For the past three years, she had moved with her husband from naval base to naval base in the States. But his last orders had sent him to Hawaii and he had been informed that there were no 'family accommodations' available yet. Debra had come back to Vancouver to stay with her family until her husband was able to get base housing for both of them. She hadn't seen him for three months and was obviously missing him terribly.  
  
"I'm sure President Roosevelt is doing all he can to keep his country out of the war, Debra," Leslie replied. Debra cocked her head to one side and regarded Leslie intently.  
  
"That, my friend, is an indirect answer to a direct question. Come on, Leslie. I want to know your opinion."  
  
"I really don't want to discuss this, Debra. Are you sure you want to?" Leslie asked, picking her pen back up and beginning to write once again.  
  
"If I didn't want to discuss it, Leslie, I wouldn't have brought it up in the first place. Now, tell me what you think."  
  
Debra's answer was the sound of a pen scratching against paper.  
  
"Leslie, please answer me."  
  
Leslie sighed, exasperated, and gave up on writing the letter for the time being. Chris would have to wait another day, it seemed.  
  
"You want my opinion? Alright. I don't think America has one chance of staying out of this war. There, now. Are you satisfied?"  
  
To Leslie's astonishment, Debra smiled back at her.  
  
"Yes, I am satisfied. I see that we are in agreement on this. I must admit, I've been wanting to ask you about that for some time now. You have no idea how hard it is for me to not say what's on my mind. Oh, I hear your aunt coming in. Didn't you say she was getting a few groceries before picking Gilbert and Elise up from school? Let's go see if she needs any help with packages.."  
  
Debra walked out, leaving a slightly dazed Leslie behind her. She slowly rose and started walking downstairs, trying to clear her head. Just when she thought she had Debra figured out, something like this would happen and she was back to square one again. It was quite confusing at times, but Leslie was beginning to find that the puzzle that was Debra would be no fun if it was ever solved.  
  
Upon reaching the kitchen, Leslie was immediately tackled by six year old Elise, the youngest of Uncle Shirley and Aunt Aurelie's five children.  
  
"I drew something for you in school today, Lethlie."  
  
Leslie struggled to hide a smile. Though Elise's lisp was almost completely gone, she still seemed to be having trouble when it came to saying Leslie's name. Leslie thought it adorable, but wouldn't smile for fear that Elise would think she was laughing at her.  
  
"You did?" she responded, playing with the child's silky blonde curls.  
  
"Yes, I did."  
  
"Well, don't just tell her about it, Elise. Show it to her," said nine year old Gilbert, nudging his sister.  
  
"I was going to. You're spoiling it, Gilbert! Go away," retorted the small being, who was still clinging tightly to Leslie.  
  
"Elise, don't talk to your brother like that," Aunt Aurelie admonished as she started putting away the few groceries she had bought. "Apologize at once."  
  
"I'm sorry, Gilly. Please go away," Elise said, putting extra emphasis on the word please. Alex, who had brought the groceries in for his mother, started laughing immediately. Leslie and Debra exchanged amused glances and Aunt Aurelie coughed to hide her own laugh. Gilbert quickly realized that the apology he had just received would have to do.  
  
"That's okay, Elise. I'm sorry I 'spoiled' it."  
  
"You're forgiven," Elise replied with all the seriousness of a queen bestowing a favor upon a lowly serf. Alex's laughter doubled, but he laughed a little more quietly when he received a warning glance from his mother. Elise turned her attention back to Leslie. She pulled a sheet of paper out of the small notebook in her hands and handed it to her older cousin.  
  
Leslie studied the picture and felt tears prick the back of her eyes. The picture was of a house, completely green, and three people who stood in front of it. One was ridiculously tall, one average size, and one about half the size of the average one. The shortest person stood between the other two, who were obviously adults, and had yellow hair and was wearing what seemed to be a red dress. Leslie guessed this to be a self-portrait of Elise, whose favorite color was red. The seemingly average sized adult was apparently Leslie, judging from the black hair. And Leslie could only draw one conclusion from the picture of the other adult.  
  
"It's a picture of me, you, and Mr. Keith at Green Gables," the little girl said proudly. Alex stopped laughing as he noted the slight pallor of Leslie's face. He started to go towards her, but his mother laid a hand on his arm and stopped him. Reluctantly, he remained where was.  
  
Later, Leslie would think it ridiculous that she would cry over a six-year- old girl's picture of Joseph. But she couldn't quite stop herself. A tear rolled down her cheek before she could catch it and she heard Elise draw a sharp breath.  
  
"Did I not draw him right? I tried, Lethlie. You said he was tall. Isn't he tall enough in my picture? I tried to draw it right. But I've never seen him. I'm sorry, Lethlie."  
  
The little girl seemed close to tears herself and Leslie was instantly alarmed. She kneeled down and wrapped her small cousin in a hug.  
  
"You drew him perfectly, Elise. So perfectly that I was surprised. That's why I'm crying. It's a wonderful picture, darling. In fact, I think I'll send this to him with my next letter. He'll be very flattered and very happy to have such a beautiful picture."  
  
"But I drew it for you," Elise protested. Then her face brightened. "I know! I'll draw another one for you to send to him. Will that be okay?"  
  
"Yes, Elise. That would be very sweet. And you be sure to sign it. You'll be a famous artist one day and he'll want to have one of your first works of art. In fact, why don't you sign my picture, too?"  
  
"Alright!" exclaimed the little girl. She took the picture from Leslie and left the kitchen. They heard her bounding up the stairs and were soon also aware that she was trying to talk her sister Susan into letting her borrow some colored pencils. Susan's protests and Elise's pleadings could be heard all over the house after a while. Sighing, Aunt Aurelie went to see if she could make a diplomatic arrangement between the two parties concerned.  
  
"Are you okay?" Alex inquired after his mother had left the room. Leslie looked at him and forced a brilliant smile onto her face.  
  
"Of course I am," she responded brightly. "Why wouldn't I be? Alex, would you be a dear and keep Debra company for a while? I really must finish my letter to Chris in time to take it down to the post office before it closes. Debra, you don't mind, do you?"  
  
"Mind? Of course not. I'll be fine with Alex. Go ahead and finish your letter to your sister. I know she's anxious to hear from you."  
  
"Thanks. I'm almost finished as it is. I won't be long."  
  
She left the kitchen quickly and Debra exchanged a worried glance with Alex.  
  
"How long has it been now?" she asked him.  
  
"Since she's heard from Joseph? I think the last letter she received was in November. She writes him almost every day."  
  
Debra nodded. She knew how often Leslie wrote to Joseph.  
  
"Do you suppose her sister just forgot to send his letter here?" she asked hopefully. Alex shook his head vehemently.  
  
"No, not Chris. She's not the type to forget anything, much less something like that. Besides, I got a letter from her last week and she said that Joseph's parents hadn't heard anything from him, either. Apparently, they called Green Gables, hoping that Leslie might have received a letter. Of course, Chris hasn't mentioned any of that in her letters to Leslie. And I think it best that she not know at all."  
  
Debra gave a silent nod of agreement. With a little effort, she managed to steer the conversation to a more cheerful subject. Alex, born with that special gift of laughter so few of us are graced with, soon had her in kinks over a recent happening in his own school.  
  
Upstairs, as the sound of Debra's laughter floated into her room, Leslie finished composing her letter to Chris.  
  
'Are you sure you haven't gotten anything from Joseph, Chris? It's not like him to go this long without sending a letter.'  
  
And far away, a young Canadian man in the middle of a battle struggled to ignore the pain that his wound was causing. But the darkness swirled around him and the sounds of the shells and the screams of the men were slowly fading away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: And I'm just an evil, evil person to cut it off here, aren't I? Actually, when I started this chapter, it was meant to be light-hearted. But these characters just have minds of their own. It seems my creative juices are flowing yet again, so I'm sure I'll be getting the next chapter up within the week. Review, review, review! I love reviews. They're inspiring. Oh, and I'm sorry if I left anyone out of the callouts. It's nothing personal. But I've been having a lot of trouble with my e-mail and I had to change my address and I'm not sure I've kept all the reviews I got for the last chapter. Please forgive me! 


	25. The News

Disclaimer: I own nothing of L.M. Montgomery's. How many times must I tell people this?  
  
A/N: Hey, I told you I'd get a new chapter up soon. Hope this is soon enough.  
  
Just I: I'm afraid I'll have to keep you in suspense about Joseph for a while, but this chapter will still be dealing with Leslie. And you have been following the story perfectly, my friend. I just introduced Debra in the last chapter and will go into more detail on her in this chapter. I think you'll like her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~April 10, 1941  
  
"I'm glad you suggested this, Alex," said Leslie, smiling at her cousin. "I think it was just what I needed. And the others are certainly enjoying themselves."  
  
Uncle Shirley and Aunt Aurelie had gone away for the weekend, leaving Leslie and Alex in charge of the household for a few days. It was Saturday and the morning had been very trying for Leslie. It seemed that everyone in the house was in a bad mood. Gilbert was in a bad mood because Leslie had punished him Friday night for something he still clamed he 'didn't do'. Twelve year old Gabriella was upset over the fight she had had with her best friend at school. Susan was irritated because, after gaining permission to use Susan's colored pencils for her drawing of Joseph, Elise had assumed the permission was a free pass to any of her sister's art supplies. The results were two broken pencils and a ruined paintbrush. Elise was cranky because Susan hadn't spoken to her in three days. And Leslie was, by now, beside herself with worry over Joseph.  
  
Alex, the only one in the house who was in a reasonable mood, had suggested an afternoon sojourn to Stanley Park. Leslie readily agreed and the others seemed to think it a good idea. Debra was also invited and now Leslie found that she was enjoying herself immensely for the first time in quite a while.  
  
"It seemed to be the most reasonable solution for everyone's moods," Alex explained as they walked down the path, arms linked. "We used to come here every weekend, weather permitting, for picnics. I guess it got harder for everyone as all of us got older. Schedules and things like that. I know Mother still comes here quite a bit with Elise."  
  
Leslie's smile grew bigger as her eyes fell on little Elise, who was walking a little ways ahead of them, holding Debra's hand.  
  
"She is so sweet. And she seems especially fond of Debra," Leslie observed.  
  
"Oh, no one could help liking Debra. Unless they hated her, of course."  
  
"Alex!"  
  
"What? Debra is just that type of person. You either love her fiercely or you hate her with a passion. There's no 'middle of the road' when it comes to how someone feels about Debra. There never has been. I'm glad you liked her. It would have made my life rather difficult if you hadn't."  
  
"I'm sure it would've. You two seem awfully close, despite the age difference."  
  
"Well, her parents were the first couple that Mother and Dad became friends with when they moved out here. Our families always spent a lot of time together. Debra was the oldest in her family and I was the oldest in mine. I suppose that's how we got thrown together so much."  
  
"What's her husband like, Alex? I can't get her to talk about him too much."  
  
"Rick? He's a great guy. And he loves Debra very much. I suppose you know how fast it was with them."  
  
"She did tell me that it all happened rather quickly."  
  
"It figures she wouldn't talk about him in great detail. That's how she hides her worry over him and how much she misses him. She just avoids discussing him. But that's off the subject. She met Rick just before her eighteenth birthday. He had come up to Vancouver to visit his aunt. His aunt happened to be a particular friend of Debra's parents and had the whole family over one night for dinner. Debra told me that she knew he was for her the moment she laid eyes on him.  
  
Well, they only had a week to get acquainted. Rick had to report back to his base in California. But they wrote a steady stream of letters. I think Rick even called her a couple of times. Four months after they met, he managed to get five days leave. He hopped on a train to Canada and the first place he went after arriving in Vancouver was Debra's house. Debra told me that she was washing dishes when he just seemed to materialize in the kitchen. He proposed on the spot, she accepted just as quickly and they were married two days later."  
  
Leslie's eyes widened.  
  
"Just like that?"  
  
"Just like that. Of course, Debra stayed in Vancouver for a couple of months until Rick had a place for them. I don't think I'd ever seen her as happy as she was on her wedding day. Most girls would cry about not having a big wedding with lots of flowers and bridesmaids and all that. Rick and Debra actually got married in her parents' backyard. I was in attendance, of course. My whole family was there. Debra wore a pale blue dress that I'd seen her in a hundred times before and Rick was in his uniform. All of it was very informal, really. But it was the most beautiful wedding I've ever been to, Leslie. Because you could see how much they truly loved each other."  
  
"How old is he, Alex?"  
  
"She didn't tell you? She must miss him more than I thought. Let's see. Rick was twenty-four when they got married, so I guess that makes him around twenty-seven now. I think you'd like him if you ever met him, Leslie. I imagine he's like an older version of Walter."  
  
"In that case, I'm sure I'd like him."  
  
"You know, I think I keep hearing my name, so I've decided that Elise and I should join the two of you for a while."  
  
Debra had fallen back to where Alex and Leslie were, bringing Elise with her. The two older cousins exchanged sly glances, but made no attempt to defend themselves. Debra grinned.  
  
"That's what I thought," she said triumphantly.  
  
"This certainly is a beautiful place," Leslie remarked. It was the first time since coming to Vancouver that she had been to Stanley Park.  
  
"If you think this is beautiful, wait until you come here when all the flowers are in bloom," Debra replied. "That's my favorite time of year to come to Stanley Park."  
  
"It is beautiful then," agreed Alex. "But I like the fall better. When all the leaves on the trees are gold and red. Everything is so vibrant then."  
  
"I like it now," Elise piped up. She squealed with delight when Alex suddenly swung her up and set her on his shoulders.  
  
"As long as you're up there, munchkin," he said, "can you see any of the others?"  
  
"I see Susan over there," Elise answered, pointing to a spot off to their right. "She's sitting against a tree, drawing something. Gabriella's over there," pointing to the left, "talking to some other girls. And Gilbert..."  
  
She trailed off here, obviously unable to pinpoint her brother. Leslie grew slightly alarmed, but reasoned that she shouldn't worry about Gilbert.  
  
"There he is!" Elise cried, pointing straight ahead of her. Alex followed her finger until his eyes came to rest on a figure that looked like his brother. He had already picked out Susan and Gabriella. Neither of them were too far away. But Gilbert was much farther away than Alex liked him to be and so he set Elise back down on the ground, ignoring her protests.  
  
"Gil's a little too far away for my liking," he told Leslie. "I'm going to get him and bring him back to be with us."  
  
Leslie nodded and Alex took off like a shot. She watched him for a while and then turned her attention to the sky.  
  
"It's starting to get late. I've still got to get supper ready for everyone. Do you suppose we should head home?"  
  
The question was a reluctant one and Debra answered it just as reluctantly. She had really enjoyed herself today. This afternoon she had almost been able to forget how far she was from her husband. Almost. It was the closest she had come in a long time.  
  
"I suppose we should get home. Do you need help with the meal?"  
  
"That would be great," Leslie answered, always ready for an excuse to spend more time with Debra. Sometimes she thought that Debra and Alex had been her salvation these past few months.  
  
"I'll go get Gabriella," she continued. "Why don't you go get Susan and we'll meet back here."  
  
Soon, everyone was in the car headed back for Uncle Shirley's house. Upon arriving at home, Leslie sent the rather dirty Gilbert upstairs to get a bath and convinced a sleepy-eyed Elise that she needed a small nap. Gabriella and Susan went to their rooms to do schoolwork and artwork, respectively, and Alex followed Debra and Leslie into the kitchen.  
  
Leslie set Alex to work on the vegetables while she prepared the chicken and Debra got started on the dessert. Alex started telling the girls a story they'd both heard numerous times before, but were sent into gales of laughter despite the fact. Every time Alex told that story, he tweaked it somehow, making it more outrageous than before. Just as he was finishing the story and Leslie had put the chicken in the oven, the phone rang.  
  
"I'll get it," Leslie said, wiping away the tears out of her eyes as she headed for the phone. "Hello?"  
  
Alex was just getting ready to start cooking the vegetables when he caught a glimpse of Leslie out of the corner of his eye. Debra saw her, too. Leslie was growing paler by the minute and Alex saw her eyes roll back just in time to jump forward and catch her before she hit the floor. Laying her down gently, he picked up the phone while Debra tried to bring her around.  
  
"Hello?" he said into the receiver.  
  
"Alex?"  
  
He knew that voice.  
  
"Chris?"  
  
"Yes, it's me. What happened? Did she faint? Will she be alright?"  
  
"Yes, she'll be alright. Chris, what's going on?"  
  
"Oh, Alex, this just can't be happening."  
  
Alex was startled when he heard Chris burst into tears. He tried to soothe her, but that's rather hard to do over the telephone. He waited until she had calmed down somewhat before asking her his question.  
  
"What's going on, Chris? What is it?"  
  
"He's missing in action, Alex. He's missing!"  
  
"Slow down, Chris. Who's missing?"  
  
"Walter."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Wow. Weren't prepared for that one, were you? Thought it would be Joseph, didn't you? Aren't I mean? Yes, I am. I know I am. But I'm getting my chapters up faster, aren't I? Isn't that encouraging? Aren't you getting annoyed with all these questions? Well, I am. So I'll stop here. Review if you want to save Walter. Actually, that's not nice. Strike that last comment. But I do love reviews. They are my oxygen. 


	26. Clearing the Air

A/N: Boy, I'm just asking for it, aren't I? I honestly didn't intend to go this long without an update, but I wasn't able to write this chapter on Friday like I thought and my computer at home isn't *ahem* very easy to work with. But guess what? This week is spring break for the university so maybe I can get some writing done at work. One can only hope. I promise to resolve the situations with Joseph and Walter as soon as I can. But you may have to wait for a couple of chapters. BTW, we're back in Avonlea on this one.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: You think I'm cruel?! Does that mean you're going to stop reading and reviewing my stories? Oh no! Please don't do that! I'll miss you too much. I promise to be nicer (at least for a while) if you promise to keep reading and reviewing.  
  
Beck: Thank you so much for your concern. I appreciate it very much. As for the characters not getting killed, I realize it is unrealistic. But the beauty of fanfic is that you don't HAVE to be realistic all the time. By the same token, however, being realistic brings a note of truth into the story. To be honest, I haven't totally decided the fate of my characters, yet. I'm so flattered that you've stuck to my story and that you think it's awesome.  
  
Gufa: So good to hear from you! I'm very thankful that you like Debra. I wasn't sure how people would react to a new character this late in the game. So far, though, no one has complained about her. Don't worry, my friend. You shall see more of Alex later. After all, he's supposed to visit Green Gables in the summer and, by then, I probably won't be switching back and forth between Leslie and Chris so much. (Has a lot to do with my *plans* for Leslie) Was Walter's fate really that obvious? I must be slipping somewhere. And I could never be mad at you. Thank you for your condolences concerning my great-grandmother. It's so nice to have friends like you guys.  
  
Marzoog: I never said Walter was dead. Then again, I never said he wasn't. MUAHAHAHAHA! I just love laughing evilly. Do you really think Chris and Leslie have enough problems? *sighs* I was going to give them more. Should I not?  
  
Steph: NO! I don't want you to die. And I definitely don't want to be responsible for said death. I suppose that means I'll just have to update as fast as my little fingers can fly across the keyboard.  
  
Leiko: I take it that you're in suspense, then. Do I assume correctly? I'll update as fast as I can. I promise.  
  
Stella Maynard: Boy, you people are serious about this 'not killing' Walter thing. Crying....dying....I've had all sorts of threats. I can't promise anything......except suspense. Thanks for the review, Stella. Love, love, love those reviews.  
  
Yet another A/N: Before I forget, I want to tell all of you something. There is a new L.M. Montgomery forum up on the web and, so far, there are only two members. Me and Anonymous327. Many of you may know her from reviews on your own stories. Needless to say, WE NEED MORE MEMBERS! If you are interested, check my profile page for the url. I would post it here, but ff.net is notorious for not allowing urls in the stories.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~April 17, 1941  
  
"He's not gone. I know he isn't. I can feel it. He must be alive. And Leslie said the same thing when I spoke to her on the phone last night."  
  
Sylvia regarded her friend with a sympathetic gaze while Lorelei suddenly found the hem of her dress to be a very interesting object of study. Cecily tried very hard not to tear up. The four girls were gathered in Sylvia's bedroom at Wyndhaven. For the past ten days, Chris had been cooped up at Green Gables, when she wasn't at school or church, helping her mother receive the ladies of Avonlea. She had never thought it possible, but she was beginning to feel like a prisoner in her own home, trapped by the steady onslaught of well-meaning visitors and less well-meaning gossips. She hated how it made her feel. They all acted as though Walter was dead. Chris was of a different opinion. But whenever she tried to tell someone how she felt, they always came back with an 'Oh, of course he is, dear,' in that patronizing tone she hated so much.  
  
Tonight was different, however. Marigold Guest, whether it was because she felt sorry for Chris's plight or because she was half-Winthrop and therefore inclined to do things that were 'a little off', had invited Chris, Lorelei, and Cecily over to Wyndhaven for the entire weekend. She had run into a little trouble convincing Rilla Ford that Chris needed some time with her friends, but Rilla's mother, who had come to Avonlea the minute she received the news about Walter, had backed Marigold up to the hilt.  
  
'She needs to be with her friends, Rilla. We'll be alright without her for the weekend. You've got me to help you, after all,' Anne had said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Though she always tried not to play favorites, Walter had always held a very special place in his grandmother's heart.  
  
And so, thanks to her grandmother's persistence and 'wheedling ways', Chris now found herself in the company of her good friends once again. She drew comfort from them and felt that they, above all people, would understand this feeling that she had.  
  
"I'm sure he is, Chris," Sylvia said, eerily echoing the sentence Chris had heard so many times already. Chris studied her friend closely. No, Sylvia wasn't being patronizing. She was being supportive. Cecily spoke up as well.  
  
"You said Leslie felt it, too?" she questioned. Chris nodded her head and Cecily continued. "I've always heard that there's a special bond between twins. I've read stories where, for example, one twin would burn their hand or something and the other twin would feel it simultaneously. Sometimes the twins are hundreds of miles apart."  
  
"I've read things like that, too," agreed Sylvia. "And you and Walter are so close to one another, it only seems natural that you would have the same feelings."  
  
Chris nodded silently and looked over at Lorelei, whose concentration doubled on her dress. Chris tried to ignore the bitter ache in her heart, but it just wouldn't go away. All her friends could make her feel better, but she felt a particular need to be comforted and reassured by Lorelei. As different as the two girls were, Chris had always viewed Lorelei as her soul mate, her 'bosom friend'. She needed her bosom friend now. But Lorelei had been lost to her for months. Was there a way to get her back?  
  
Chris's thoughts were interrupted by a small person barging into Sylvia's room, shattering the peace and quiet that the girls had been enjoying. Sylvia glared at her little sister.  
  
"Don't you know how to knock?" she asked icily. Marion simply grinned before making her announcement.  
  
"Mother says that supper is ready. You need to come downstairs now," she informed them before grinning again and making her exit. Sylvia sighed and motioned for the other three to follow her. Cecily did, but Chris and Lorelei didn't make a move.  
  
"Aren't you coming down for supper?" Sylvia asked. Chris looked over at her.  
  
"We'll be down in a minute, Sylvia. Go on ahead."  
  
Sylvia frowned a little, but didn't argue. She left, closing the door behind her, hoping fervently that Chris would be able to get through to Lorelei.  
  
Chris and Lorelei sat in the room for a few moments, neither saying a word. Lorelei rarely said anything these days. Maybe if she knew Chris needed her, it would be different. Maybe if Chris told her straight out, Lorelei would let her guard down. It was worth a try, anyway.  
  
Without a word, Chris rose, made her way over to Lorelei, and knelt on the ground at her friend's feet. She covered one of Lorelei's hands with her own and the action served to finally bring the other girl's head up.  
  
"You know, Lorelei," Chris said softly, "I need you more than anyone right now. I need to know that I still have my friend."  
  
Lorelei just looked at her. Chris tried another tack.  
  
"You and Will have always had the ability to make me laugh when things aren't going my way. Will's not here, of course...."  
  
"So you'll settle for me?"  
  
The question was laced with acid and Chris winced at the tone of her friend's voice.  
  
"Lorelei, I would never settle for you. Even if Will were here, I would still need you. Don't you know that? I love your brother, Lorelei. I love him very much. But you and I, well, we've always been here for each other."  
  
"Have we?"  
  
The question was genuine and Chris was amazed to discover coldness in the face she was looking into. Had that always been there the past few months? She racked her brain, trying to remember.  
  
"You haven't answered my question. Have we always been there for each other, Christine?"  
  
The use of her full name gave Chris further cause for alarm. She stood up and Lorelei followed suit. Grey eyes met brown and, for the first time in a while, Chris was able to read Lorelei's thoughts.  
  
"You think I haven't been there for you?" she questioned in disbelief.  
  
"Nothing gets past you, does it?" came the sarcastic reply. Chris's disbelief was quickly giving way to anger.  
  
"For heaven's sake, Lorelei! We've all tried to get through to you these past few months. You turned us away every time."  
  
"Really? Because I don't recall you being there when I really, really needed you. You never called. Visits were rare, unless you were coming to see my brother. You abandoned me, Christine. After we swore to be best friends forever, you abandoned me! And now you want me to be there for you?! What kind of a world are you living in?"  
  
Chris was hurt, angry, and confused. She had never thought words like this would leave Lorelei's mouth, never dreamed that she would argue so viciously with her best friend.  
  
"You want to know what kind of a world I'm living in?" she replied coldly. "I'm living in a world where my best friend shuts herself away from everyone who loves her and doesn't realize how much she's hurting them. I'm living in a world where my brother has disappeared somewhere in Europe and I can't even get a few words of support from a person who is like my own sister. I did call you, Lorelei. I called everyday for nearly two months. You would never talk to me. I visited all the time, but you never came out of your room. I thought I'd be clever and just go in your room. You wouldn't be able to ignore me if I was right in front of you. I underestimated your ability to shut everyone out. Lorelei, there were days when I sat in your room for two hours and you never said a word to me. I gave up. Maybe I shouldn't have given up, but it hurts to be ignored by your best friend. Especially when you haven't done anything wrong. I never abandoned you, Lorelei. You abandoned everyone else. You did this to yourself."  
  
Lorelei said nothing. She simply stared at Chris in disbelief. Chris returned her gaze for a moment before turning on her heels to leave. As her hand rested on the door knob, she heard a choked sob behind her. Chris froze. Lorelei was crying! She hadn't cried since she had learned of her sister's death. A little voice inside Chris's head whispered to her, telling her to leave. But Chris had never been one to listen with her head. Her actions were ruled by her heart and her heart was telling her to do quite the opposite.  
  
Chris didn't hesitate much longer. Within seconds, her arms were around Lorelei and Lorelei held onto her tightly. Both girls were crying, quite unable to stop even if they wanted to. They stood like that for a while, simply offering support to each other. Chris was the first to recover her power of speech.  
  
"Lorelei, I'm so sorry. I never thought I could ever say things like that to you."  
  
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I deserved every bit of what you just said. You're right, you know. I have shut everyone out. I just didn't want to accept the fact that Sara was gone. It was like if I didn't accept it, then it didn't really happen. Do you know what I mean?"  
  
"I think so, yes."  
  
"But everyone else accepted it. They-they-..." Lorelei trailed off as a fresh flood of tears made its presence known. But Chris understood.  
  
"We accepted her death. We mourned her loss and were able to move on. And you shut us out because, if you let us talk to you about it, then you would have to accept her death as well."  
  
"And I didn't want to do that. I wanted Sara to be alive," Lorelei said.  
  
"We all did, Lorelei. We all did."  
  
"She still is, you know," said a voice. The two girls turned to find Mrs. Guest in the doorway. She had come up to see what was taking so long and had inadvertently overheard the very last part of the conversation.  
  
"I-I-I'm sorry to spoil this nice weekend that you planned, Mrs. Guest," Lorelei stuttered, feeling very foolish in front of the sophisticated doctor's wife.  
  
"Nonsense," Mrs. Guest retorted as she crossed the room and put an arm around each of the girls. They leaned against her. A mother's comfort seemed to be just what they needed, even if it wasn't either one of their mothers.  
  
"You haven't spoiled anything, Lorelei," Mrs. Guest continued. "But, if you don't mind, I would like to impart some 'old-lady' advice to you two girls."  
  
Both Chris and Lorelei, in spite of their present moods, smiled at the ridiculous notion of Mrs. Guest being an 'old lady'. She took their silence, correctly, as acquiescence.  
  
"When I was a little girl, much younger than you two, I lived with my mother, my grandmother, and my great-grandmother. You know that, of course. But you don't know this. I was alone at Cloud of Spruce with my great-grandmother when she died. I had always been somewhat frightened of her. She was so very old, especially to a little child like me. But that night, I stopped being frightened of her. We went all over Cloud of Spruce together that night while she traveled back in time, remembering her youth in that house. She told me about things I had never heard of and also gave out her fair share of advice. When she died, girls, I was left with that part of her. You see, part of her lives on in me. There are times when I could swear she was right there in the room with me. The same is true of Sara. Whenever you remember her, whenever you think of her, she lives again. There will be times when you can almost feel her presence. And, because you loved her so much, it will be a comforting feeling."  
  
Neither of the girls really knew what to say to this. Mrs. Guest realized she had given them both something to think about. She placed a kiss on the tops of their heads and gave their shoulders a final squeeze.  
  
"Now," she said, in a more cheerful voice, "if my husband and my son have had their way, all the ham is gone by now. But I have some lovely chicken set aside that I can fry up quickly and, later, all you girls can feast on the apple cake that no one else knows about. How does that sound?"  
  
Chris and Lorelei nodded, still unable to speak.  
  
"Good. Now, you two go wash those lovely faces and come downstairs. Hopefully, the males of this family will be full by then and you'll at least have a chance for some of those mashed potatoes."  
  
With a smile, she left the room. The girls started to follow her, but Lorelei stopped Chris just outside the bedroom. Chris turned around, a questioning look on her face.  
  
"You were right, earlier, Chris," Lorelei said. When her friend looked back at her in confusion, she continued. "About Walter, I mean. If he was gone, you would know it. And I think I would, too. All of us have practically grown up together. I think he's still alive, Chris, for what it's worth."  
  
Chris enveloped Lorelei in another hug. When she pulled away, she smiled.  
  
"It's worth a lot to know what you think," she replied. "I can't tell you how much."  
  
To Chris's surprise and amusement, Lorelei did something that the two girls hadn't done since they were very little. She spit into the palm of her hand and held it out to Chris.  
  
"Friends forever?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with the mischief that Chris had missed so much. Chris smiled before doing the same and grasping Lorelei's hand firmly in her own.  
  
"Friends forever," she repeated.  
  
"Eeewww. Not that again," said Cecily, who had appeared at the top of the stairs just in time to see the actions of her sister and friend. Cecily had always hated that little ritual, but had participated in it just to be able to run around with Lorelei and Chris. She had hoped that she would never have to see it again. Sylvia, who stood next to Cecily, looked confused.  
  
"Yes, Cecily, that again," Lorelei retorted. Cecily looked at her sister in surprise. Lorelei's voice sounded lighter than it had in months! What had gone on during supper?  
  
"And since Chris and I have just resealed our vow of friendship, you must do the same," Lorelei continued. "You know what to do."  
  
Despite the fact that she was overwhelmingly happy at this change in her sister, Cecily shuddered at the thought of spitting into her hand and then shaking hands with someone else, no matter how close she was to them.  
  
"I'll do it," said Sylvia, who was always up for something new. Cecily watched, not even attempting to hide her disgust as the ritual was repeated with Sylvia and Chris, then Sylvia and Lorelei. The three others looked expectantly at Cecily.  
  
Rolling her eyes, she finally gave in. "Alright, but I'd just like to say that this is very unladylike behavior."  
  
"Yes, yes, yes. We know all that. But this isn't a church social, Cecily," Chris said. Cecily sighed and went through all of it again. Marion passed the girls just in time to see Cecily and Sylvia seal their vow of friendship.  
  
"That's nasty," she said, crinkling up her nose with distaste. Cecily blushed, but the other three laughed. Sylvia, never able to resist the chance to irritate her little sister, patted Marion on the head.  
  
"Maybe so," Sylvia agreed. "But now we're all in the same club and you can't be in it. Come on, girls!"  
  
The group made their way down to the kitchen where, true to her word, Mrs. Guest had fried up some wonderful chicken. By midnight, they had polished off the last of the apple cake. Afterwards, they made their way up to Sylvia's room. When Mrs. Guest came in to check on them, she couldn't help but smile at the sight. Sylvia and Cecily slept in the two beds, looking for all the world like little angels. But, although there was more than enough floor space for two pallets, Chris and Lorelei slept next to each other, their hands just barely touching, a smile on both their faces.  
  
'Now, that's the way it should be,' Mrs. Guest thought to herself. She said a quick prayer over all of 'her girls' and then shut the door, leaving them to a peaceful sleep in a dreamland where the names 'Hitler' and 'Mussolini' had no meaning and everyone they had already said goodbye to was home again for good.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
A/N: That was awfully long, wasn't it? I have to admit, I wasn't too sure about this chapter, but it is the direction I wanted to take. I'm just uncertain about the way I got it there. I'll try to update again soon. Hope to hear from you! 


	27. A Letter

A/N: Hello, hello, hello! Here I am again. Yay! *crickets chirp in background* Oh, alright. If you're not that happy to see me, don't worry about it.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own it. *sobs uncontrollably into pillow*. Wait. What's a pillow doing next to my computer? O_o.  
  
Stella Maynard: My only reviewer for the last chapter! Well, the only one for a while, anyway. Thank you, my friend. Come on, you guys. Was it really that bad? *Repeat of crickets*. Oh. Right. Anyway, I want to thank you, Stella, for your wonderful review. Yes, Lorelei is back. She still has a few hurdles to get over, but she'll be okay. I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: You? Annoying? Never. I love getting your reviews and I'm glad you'll stick with me until the bitter end.  
  
Sitara: Hello, there! Wow, what a long review! I love long reviews! *Hugs Sitara* Oh, sorry about that. I get very emotional about reviews. Thank you so much for all your feedback and comments. I guess it does kind of seem like Rilla bosses Ken around. I hadn't noticed that. Thanks for pointing it out and I will try to fix it a little. As for Leslie and Owen, yes they are still around. I just haven't figured out how to bring them into the story, yet. But I'm sure they'll pop up soon.  
  
Sweettooth: It's evil? Really? Hmmm. I always did want to be evil. *grins maliciously* Ah, but you were right about Joseph. It is him. AND Walter. Double-whammy, huh? Now, THAT is evil. But at least I wasn't too mean. Lorelei and Chris are friends again. Thanks for your reviews.  
  
Love Books: I have you hooked? That's the highest compliment anyone could ever pay to a writer. Thank you very much. So Alex is your favorite? Hmmm. I'll have to see what evil things I can do to him. *Just kidding*. More of Alex will be coming up later. Remember, he's supposed to spend the summer at Green Gables.  
  
Strawberry Lip Gloss: LOVE the name! Welcome to my world! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far and I hope you'll keep reviewing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~May 6, 1941  
  
"Lorelei is doing much better now, although she slips into moods occasionally. She's moving in with her Aunt Sara in Montreal at the end of the summer and has decided to attend McGill. Sylvia will be going to Queen's Academy in the fall as well. I haven't decided what I should do, yet. Any suggestions? Oh, well. Give my love to everyone and make sure that Alex remembers his promise to come out here for the summer. You will come with him, won't you, Leslie? I love and miss you.  
  
Love,  
  
Chris"  
  
Leslie sighed as she read the last line of her sister's letter. The original plan had been for her to return to Avonlea when Alex went there for the summer. But so many things had happened since then. She felt comfortable here. Debra was a constant companion and added a great deal of fun to her life. Here, in Vancouver, she was able to go somewhere without being continually reminded of Joseph.  
  
Joseph. She still had not received word of him. In fact, she had even received a letter from Davy Keith only three weeks ago, asking if she had gotten a letter from his son. This had only served to worry her more. If Joseph had not even written to his parents in all this time, something must be dreadfully wrong.  
  
Leslie shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts and began to get ready for the dance that night. For the past two months, she and Debra had volunteered at dances sponsored by the Red Cross. The dances were held every Friday and Saturday night and many young ladies in Vancouver attended to dance with the soldiers and help serve refreshments. Leslie enjoyed these nights quite a bit. It made her feel as though she were helping a little. To be sure, she could offer the soldiers no more than friendship, but most of them simply needed someone to talk to anyway.  
  
As Leslie dressed, she started thinking about how good it made her feel to do even a small part for the war effort. And she wished there were some way she could do more. Surely she could be of more help in some way. Wasn't there more she could do besides smile, dance, and offer a kind word? Why must the role of women be so limited in these cases?  
  
These thoughts were racing through her mind when she heard the front door slam. Alex was home.  
  
"Alex Blythe, how many times must I tell you to not slam the door?" she heard Aunt Aurelie call from the kitchen. Alex's response was typical.  
  
"Sorry, Mom!" he replied. His words were followed by the sound of his feet taking the stairs two at a time. Leslie frowned, wondering what could have Alex so excited. When he started banging on her door, she nearly jumped out of her skin.  
  
"Leslie! Leslie, can I come in?"  
  
"You're awfully impatient," Leslie retorted, irritated by the fact that he was banging on her bedroom door. She started to fasten the back of her dress.  
  
"Hurry, I need to show you something!"  
  
Leslie rolled her eyes and started towards the door as she finished zipping her dress up. When she opened the door, Alex barged right in.  
  
"Won't you come in and make yourself at home?" she asked sarcastically. Alex grinned.  
  
"I have something for you," he said and held out an envelope. Leslie stared at it for a moment before she recognized the handwriting. Alex's eyes twinkled and his grin got bigger when she grabbed the envelope from him. She held it for a moment, her hands trembling, before Alex began to grow impatient.  
  
"Aren't you going to open it?" he inquired.  
  
"I-I can't," Leslie stammered. What was wrong with her? She'd waited all these months for a letter from Joseph and, now that one was here, she couldn't even open it! Still trembling, she handed the envelope back to Alex.  
  
"You open it," she said softly. "Read it to me."  
  
Alex looked rather uncomfortable with this idea. Who knew what a man would write to the woman he loved after all these months? Not to mention that he felt it an invasion of his cousin's privacy. But his curiosity and excitement won out over his sense of propriety. He opened the envelope and started to read. Leslie sat on the edge of her bed.  
  
'My dearest Leslie,' Alex read. 'I am sorry it took so long for me to write, but there were circumstances beyond my control. I have received all your letters, however, and am glad to hear that you are happy in Vancouver. Your friend, Debra, sounds like a wonderful person.  
  
I feel I must explain the reason for my not having written to you. Our regiment has been in the front lines for quite a few months now, and it's difficult to get any mail out at all these days. I am writing to you now from a small hospital in England.'  
  
Leslie drew a sharp breath and Alex glanced up to see that she had gone pale. He went back to the letter.  
  
'I was not wounded very badly, but it was enough for them to take me out of front line duty. I was lucky, Leslie. Several of my friends were killed in the very same battle. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was frightened out of my mind. But in the middle of all the ugliness, I kept thinking of you, my love, and it pulled me through it all.  
  
I believe the best way to do this is to just tell you the truth, Leslie. I took a bullet in the leg and there was some shrapnel that found it's way into my shoulder. The doctors say that my arm will be fine, if given the proper chance to heal, but my leg will never fully recover. The bullet went in just a couple of inches above my knee and they told me that it would most likely cause me to walk with a limp. But if this is the worst thing that ever happens to me, I will be eternally grateful.  
  
So far, I have spent this entire letter telling you about my injuries and experiences, but there are far more pleasant things I would rather tell you about. Since this letter does not have to be rushed, I intend to take full advantage of the opportunity.'  
  
Alex folded the letter up at this point and walked over to Leslie. He held the letter out to her.  
  
"I think I'll leave you alone now," he said, his eyes twinkling a little. Leslie managed to give him a weak smile.  
  
"Thank you," she said softly, taking the letter from him. Alex winked at her and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. As soon as he had gone, Leslie lay face down on the bed and dissolved into tears. Relief flooded every part of her. Joseph was alive. He was wounded, but he was alive. She was too overcome to finish reading the letter at that moment. So she simply lay there, letting all the tension and worry that had built up over the past months be washed away by her tears.  
  
Leslie wasn't sure how long she cried, but she was sure that, when it was over with, she felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart. Joseph was alive. Never had Leslie thought that three simple words could sound so sweet.  
  
When she had collected herself, for the most part, she turned her attention back to the letter she still clutched in her hand. She started to read it as she tried to wipe the remaining tears from her face.  
  
************************************************  
  
"Hi, Debra," Alex said, opening the door to let his friend in.  
  
"Hello, Alex. Is Leslie ready?"  
  
"I'm not sure she'll be going to the dance tonight," Alex replied. Debra narrowed her eyes and studied him for a moment.  
  
"Is something wrong?" she inquired.  
  
"No, no, no. Nothing wrong at all. Quite the opposite, in fact."  
  
"Alright, Alex. You and I both know that you are rotten when it comes to keeping secrets. Spill it."  
  
"Well, it seems that she received this letter in the mail today," Alex began and he proceeded to launch into a full account of the letter's arrival, the contents therein (at least some of them), and Leslie's reaction. When he was through, Debra's grin was almost as big as his.  
  
"So how long has it been since you left her room?" she asked.  
  
"A little over an hour," he replied. "I haven't heard a sound from her room. Not that I tried to listen or anything," he added innocently.  
  
"Sure you didn't," Debra said, using a tone that implied she wasn't at all sure about that. Alex blushed and lowered his head a little.  
  
"Alright, so I put an ear to her door. I only stayed there for a few minutes and I didn't hear anything, so what harm was there? Anyway, you can see why she probably won't be going to the dance tonight."  
  
"Whatever gave you that idea?"  
  
Alex and Debra looked up to see Leslie standing at the top of the stairs. Debra had thought Leslie was beautiful from the moment she met her, but her friend seemed even more beautiful than usual tonight. Her violet eyes sparkled and she looked as if she carried some sort of secret delight within her.  
  
'So this is what she looks like when she's truly happy,' Debra thought, as Leslie descended the stairs.  
  
"Of course I'll be going to the dance, Alex. It would be wrong of me not to. There are just a few things I have to take care of first. Is that okay, Debra?"  
  
"Fine with me," Debra said, shrugging her shoulders. "Take all the time you need."  
  
Leslie smiled before going into the kitchen and picking up the phone. She heard two rings and then-  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Chris? Chris, I'm so glad it's you. You'll never guess what happened today."  
  
Alex and Debra exchanged glances.  
  
"I don't think we'll make it to the dance this evening," Debra said, her eyes twinkling. Alex simply shook his head and grinned.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Aha! Thought I would write all of Joseph's letter, didn't you? Well, my friends, I think some things are better left to the imagination. After all, some of the most romantic scenes in movies don't have any physical contact between the man and woman at all. Besides, L.M. Montgomery never saw the need to expand on some of Anne's letters to Gilbert in 'Anne of Windy Poplars'. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review before you leave, even if it's a tiny one. And suggestions, as always, are more than welcome. 


	28. Revelations

Disclaimer: I don't own it.  
  
A/N: Slow time at work means more time for writing! Yay!  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: Yes, Joseph is alive. Thought you would be happy over that. But where is Walter? Oh, I just had to burst your bubble, didn't I? Hope you like this chapter, though. It's all Chris. Well, almost all Chris.  
  
Strawberry Lip Gloss: Thanks for explaining the name. I'm sorry you don't like Leslie more, too, but I am glad you like Chris so much. This chapter is all Chris, with a little of Alex thrown in for good measure. By the way, does this qualify as REALLY soon?  
  
Leiko: Point taken, my friend. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
Love books: Afraid there's not too much about Walter in this one. I'm still working on him. Home on leave, huh? That's a good idea. Thanks. By the way, little bit of Alex in this one. Hope you like it  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~June 2, 1941 (Because that's my favorite day in June. Any guesses as to why?)  
  
June came to Avonlea and with it came a certain fair-haired, brown-eyed young man from Vancouver. The addition of Alex to Avonlea society proved to be very entertaining. Chris was, of course, disappointed that Leslie had decided to stay in Vancouver a little longer, but Alex had foreseen this and felt it his duty to keep Chris from thinking about it too much.  
  
He accomplished this without realizing it by showing a strong interest in Sylvia Guest. This served to make Chris extremely happy, not to mention Sylvia, who returned Alex's interest.  
  
Alex fit right in with Chris's small circle of close friends. Lorelei and Cecily took an immediate liking to him. He even managed to charm the normally no-nonsense Janet King and she always seemed to have an extra piece of her famous apple pie whenever he was around.  
  
One week after Alex's arrival, though, a situation arose that he had not been aware of. He and Chris were walking along Lover's Lane one evening when he caught a glimpse of a girl walking ahead of them. Since she was headed in the same direction they were, he couldn't see her face, but the golden-red curls that caught the light of the setting sun were enough to make him recognize her.  
  
"Hey, there's Emily," he said. "I haven't seen her at all, yet. I've been to Orchard Slope several times, but Aunt Di said she was visiting Uncle Jerry and Aunt Nan in Shrewsbury. She must've just gotten back today. Let's go say hi."  
  
He started walking a little faster in the hopes of catching his cousin and had gone quite a ways before he realized that Chris was not with him. He stopped and looked back to see that she was still walking at a slow pace, not getting in any hurry at all. Frowning, he went back to her.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Alex raised an eyebrow. It was his experience that whenever Chris said 'nothing' in response to the question he had just asked, what she really meant was 'I'm not going to tell you'. He folded his arms and continued to stare at Chris. She squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.  
  
"What?" she finally asked, exasperated and more than a little defensive.  
  
"Do you mean to tell me that you are still not speaking to each other?" he asked in disbelief. He had witnessed the rift between Emily and Chris when he was at Ingleside, but thought that it would soon be mended. He should have known that his cousins were capable of being this stubborn.  
  
"Why should I speak to her? Nothing she has to say could possibly interest me," Chris retorted. She stepped around Alex and kept walking, but he wouldn't let her go that easily.  
  
"Chris, she's your cousin. You two are family! You've known each other all your lives! How could you just turn your back on that?"  
  
"First of all, Alex Blythe, I did not turn my back on her. She turned her back on me the day she accused Will and I of-." Chris broke off her sentence and looked away, flushing a deep red. Alex, who had known about the rift but not what had caused it, was not hesitant to prompt her.  
  
"Of doing something that is generally frowned upon?" he finished. Chris' turned back to him her grey eyes snapping with anger.  
  
"Yes. Now you tell me, Alex. How could I forgive her for saying something like that about me? She was supposed to be my friend."  
  
"She is your friend, Chris. But even friends make mistakes. I don't know what could've prompted her to say such a thing to you, but she couldn't have just walked up to you, unprovoked, and made the accusation. Surely there was more to it than that."  
  
There was more to it than that, but Chris did not want to listen to reason where Emily was concerned. Nor did she want to face the fact that she did indeed miss her younger cousin.  
  
"That, Alex Blythe, is really none of your business. Now, if you want to go speak to Emily, feel free to do so. I don't see why mine and Emily's argument should affect your relationship with her. She and Lorelei are still good friends."  
  
"Does Lorelei know about what Emily said?"  
  
"Lorelei was there."  
  
"So if Lorelei can forgive Emily for saying it, why can't you?"  
  
"That's a different situation," Chris explained, ignoring the voice in her head that told her it wasn't. Alex raised his eyebrow again, making Chris squirm even more.  
  
"Is it? It's been my experience, Chris, that people are more protective of those they love than they are of themselves. And I don't think Lorelei is any exception. Now, it seems to me that, if Emily wasn't really sorry for what she said, then Lorelei would not be speaking to her, either. After all, what Emily said insulted Lorelei's brother and best friend. So this brings me back to my earlier question. If Lorelei can forgive Emily for saying something like that, why can't you?"  
  
"Lorelei is a better person than I am, Alex."  
  
They stood in silence for a moment before Alex finally replied.  
  
"You know what, Chris? In this instance, I think you may be right about that."  
  
He turned and broke into a fast jog to catch up with Emily, leaving a stricken Chris behind. His comment had cut her deeply, even more so because she knew, deep down in her heart, that it was true. When it came to Emily, she simply refused to admit that she may have been in the wrong on that day as well.  
  
Chris wasn't sure when Alex got back to Green Gables. She was in her room all evening, not even coming down for dinner. Her mother was concerned about her, but knew better than to push her daughter when she was like this. Obviously, Chris needed some time by herself to think about something.  
  
Long after all the other lights in Green Gables went out that night, the light in Chris's bedroom burned brightly. She was up nearly all night long. In fact, when she finally went to sleep, the sun was just peeking over the horizon.  
  
***************************June 3, 1941  
  
Chris had left the house as soon as she got up that morning, which, unfortunately, was a little too late for her mother's liking. She had not seen Alex, yet, and was honestly hoping that she wouldn't. At least not until she had the chance to speak with Emily.  
  
For Chris had finally come to her senses over the situation with Emily. When she thought back on the fight they had, she realized that Emily had made the comment in anger, not really meaning what she said. That didn't make it hurt any less, but it did mean that this year-long grudge was not justified in any way.  
  
Chris kept going back to what her grandmother had said to her not long after her fight with Emily.  
  
'I carried a grudge once, Chris, and it nearly cost me the person who has brought me the most happiness in my life. Emily is your family and family should never be separated by quarrels.'  
  
She had pretended to take her grandmother's advice into consideration, but had actually just shoved it into the back of her mind along with what her mother had said about the fight. Her confrontation with Alex yesterday, however, had served to bring it all back to the forefront. And one thought, one that had never occurred to Chris before last night, had been ringing in her head all day.  
  
'What would Walter say if he were here?'  
  
Of course, Chris knew exactly what Walter would say. He had not been too happy with Emily's comments, but he hadn't been happy with Chris's attitude, either. To be sure, he had never said anything, but Chris was positive he would've if he had known how long she was going to behave like such a child. That was exactly how she was behaving, too. Like a child.  
  
The thought of Walter had been the last straw for Chris. It hurt her immeasurably to think that she would do anything to disappoint her older brother. She simply had to make things right with Emily again.  
  
But Chris didn't know how to make things right again. She had set out from Green Gables that morning with every intention of going straight to Orchard Slope. Halfway there, she had lost all her courage. Since then, she had been wandering around the quiet roads of Avonlea, trying to think of what to say to her cousin.  
  
It was now late afternoon and Chris found herself in Hester Gray's garden. She smiled ruefully. How many times had she come here with a problem to solve? To be sure, she usually had Will to help her, but this was one she would have to deal with on her own. Even if Will were here, he couldn't help her with this.  
  
Chris sat on the stone bench and listened as the wind rustled through the leaves in the trees. She had always loved that sound. It comforted her in some way. Today, however, it did nothing to soothe her. She was too worked up over Emily.  
  
'What if she slams the door in my face? It's not as if I don't deserve that. In fact, maybe it would make me feel better if she slammed the door or threw my apology right back at me. It would mean she was still mad at me, too. And she has every right to be. Not only have I ignored for a year, but I said some hurtful things to her as well. Alex was right. Her comment was not unprovoked. I insulted Bradley. I insulted the person that she loves. Or the person that she loved. Good grief! I don't even know if they still have a relationship. Oh, how did I get myself into such a mess?'  
  
"I personally think you just have a knack for it," said a voice behind her. Chris turned to see Lorelei looking at her knowingly.  
  
"Did I say that last part out loud?" Chris asked. Lorelei nodded before joining her on the bench.  
  
"I thought I might find you here. You always come here when you have a problem to solve. Even before you and Will started meeting here."  
  
"You know me too well, Lorelei. It's frightening sometimes. But how did you know I had a problem?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, we were supposed to go to the movies with Sylvia and Alex this afternoon and you never showed up at Wyndhaven."  
  
"Oh, no! I completely forgot about that! I'm so sorry! Is Sylvia angry?"  
  
"Angry? You must be joking. Alex met us at Wyndhaven at the appointed time and, when you didn't show up, he told us about the conversation you two had last night. He's pretty upset about the whole thing, Chris. He feels bad about what he said to you."  
  
"He was right, you know," Chris said softly. Lorelei arched one delicate eyebrow when she heard this, but didn't comment on it. Instead, she went on with her own little story.  
  
"Anyway, Sylvia wanted to go find you right away, but I convinced her not to. I told her I'd look for you later this afternoon and that she and Alex should go on to the movies together and have a good time. No, I don't think angry is the word for Sylvia right now. Ecstatic or elated might be more like it."  
  
In spite of her mood, Chris couldn't help but grin. So Sylvia and Alex had gone to the movies together. By themselves. At this rate, maybe they'd be engaged by the time the summer was over. Chris's grin slowly faded as she remembered why she had come here in the first place, though.  
  
"How can I possibly make all of this up to her, Lorelei?"  
  
"Who? Sylvia?" Lorelei asked innocently. Chris rolled her eyes.  
  
"You know who I mean. Emily. Why should she forgive me?"  
  
"Because you're her cousin. And, more importantly than that, you're one of the best friends she's ever had."  
  
"Some friend," Chris muttered. Lorelei put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Do you really think that Emily would throw away over ten years of friendship just because of one bad year?"  
  
"One VERY bad year," Chris corrected.  
  
"Bad. Very bad. Very, very bad. What's the difference? The point is that the good times outweigh the bad times. That ought to count for something."  
  
"It didn't count with me, apparently."  
  
"That's because you're too stubborn for your own good, Chris."  
  
"What is this? Pick on Chris Week?"  
  
"I'm just stating a fact. You've always been stubborn. It's actually a very good trait and it's also one of the reasons why you're so loyal to your friends. Unfortunately, it can have it's down sides. Emily is stubborn, too. Otherwise, she would have come begging for your forgiveness long ago."  
  
"Do you and Emily ever talk about me?"  
  
"I've found that it's better not to mention you to Emily. Not because she's angry with you, but because it upsets her so much. She feels so terrible for what she said, but she's afraid to face you. Afraid that you'll refuse to forgive her when she apologizes."  
  
"Afraid like I am right now," said Chris quietly. Lorelei nodded.  
  
"What do I say to her?"  
  
"Well, I'm no expert on year-long feuds, Chris. But I believe a simple 'I'm sorry' will probably open the door fairly easily."  
  
"I think those must be the two hardest words to say in the English language," Chris remarked with a small smile.  
  
"No, Chris. Those are the two hardest words to say in any language," replied Lorelei, absently brushing a curl back from her friend's face. Chris turned to her.  
  
"When did you get so smart, anyway?" she asked teasingly.  
  
"It's a gift," came the reply. Chris laughed and got up off the bench.  
  
"Well, I guess I should start for Orchard Slope, then."  
  
"Yes, I guess you should."  
  
"Are you coming with me?"  
  
"No, I don't think so. This is between you and Emily. It doesn't concern me at all."  
  
"Well, for something that doesn't concern you, you sure do have your fair share of opinions on it."  
  
Lorelei smiled and stood up as well, linking arms with Chris.  
  
"Come on. I won't go as far as Orchard Slope, but I'll walk as far as the Lake of Shining Waters with you. Fair enough?"  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
The two girls set off down the road. Lorelei attempted to keep the conversation light, knowing that if she gave Chris time to think about things again, her friend might chicken out. When they reached the Lake of Shining Waters, she felt Chris tense up a little.  
  
"This is where I leave you, Chris. I'm going back to Wyndhaven. Sylvia and Alex should be getting back any time now."  
  
"I'm not so sure about this, Lorelei. Maybe I better wait until tomorrow."  
  
"Oh, for heaven's sake! Christine Anne Ford, in all the time I have known you, I have never once seen you back down from anything! Don't tell me you're going to start now."  
  
"No, I suppose not," Chris sighed.  
  
"Good. That's what I wanted to hear. Now, get going."  
  
Lorelei punctuated her final sentence with a gentle shove. For a moment, Chris considered turning around and running back home. Lorelei was many things and Chris could list them all. But a fast runner was not anywhere on said list. Lorelei would never catch her. Then again, one of the things that was on the very top of that list was 'smart'. If Lorelei said things would work out, then things would work out. Her courage restored, Chris started walking towards Orchard Slope. Lorelei stood and watched her.  
  
Halfway there, Chris turned around and Lorelei groaned inwardly. She was surprised, though, when Chris merely called out to her.  
  
"Lorelei?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Lorelei smiled.  
  
"What are friends for?" she called back. Chris grinned before turning and continuing down the road. Lorelei, secure in the knowledge that Chris's mission would be accomplished tonight, made her way to Wyndhaven.  
  
As Chris neared the front gate, she could feel her heart start to hammer in her chest. She was incredibly nervous and, although she hated to admit it, scared. The gate creaked as she opened it and Chris winced. But she continued up the walk until she found herself at the front door. She hesitated for just a moment, then knocked firmly on the door.  
  
The door opened to reveal Emily, who simply stared at Chris as if she was a ghost. Chris fidgeted a little, wanting to say something, but no words would come. Finally, she managed to choke something out.  
  
"Hi." 'Oh, that's a great start, Chris'  
  
"Hi," Emily replied, still regarding Chris with a little anxiety. It was the worry in Emily's emerald eyes that finally did it for Chris.  
  
"Oh, Emily. I'm so sorry and I've missed you so much and I hope you can forgive me for being such a little beast."  
  
This all came out in one rush of breath and as soon as the words left her mouth, Chris felt wonderful. It was as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She almost didn't care if Emily forgave her or not. Almost.  
  
Emily looked at Chris for a moment, her expression unreadable, before finally speaking.  
  
"So you came to apologize because you knew I'd forgive you?"  
  
"No, I didn't know that at all. I still don't. And I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I've been a perfectly horrible person, Emily. I just hope that, even if you don't forgive me today, you will someday."  
  
"You mean you came here and apologized without knowing for certain that I would forgive you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
To this day, neither Emily or Chris can say which one of them moved first. But they can tell you that, after their tearful hug, Di Wright was only too happy to give them each a piece of the chocolate cake that she had baked for the social at the Avonlea Presbyterian church the next day. And they were only too happy to help her bake another one afterwards. They had plenty of time for it. Chris stayed at Orchard Slope overnight that night, and she slept better than she had in the past year.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Awww. That was really sappy, wasn't it? Well, I won't apologize for writing sappy chapters. I happen to like sappy chapters. They're fun to write. Incidentally, I meant to tell all of you. I'm sorry for not updating in so long, but ff.net shut my account down for a while. Something about a post that was against regulations. I didn't know! Honest! 


	29. Interlude

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned it.  
  
A/N: More free time means more writing time! Yay!  
  
Leiko: It was sappy, wasn't it? But sometimes sappy is good. Glad you liked it.  
  
Strawberry Lip Gloss: Guess what? More of Chris, Emily, and Alex/Sylvia in this chapter. Yay! I have thought about putting Una in, but I'm just not sure how to swing it. I'll keep working on it, though. Nan and Jerry, huh? I'll see what I can do. Decent men courting the girls is very good. In fact, you'll probably get to see how Alex treats Sylvia in this chapter. Maybe.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: On to Walter and Will you say? I had no intention of writing about either one of them in this chapter, but, since you said please, I feel that I must include at least one of them. And you were right the second time. My wedding anniversary is June 2. June 2 of the year 2001, in fact. Thanks for guessing.  
  
Gufa: I'm so glad you liked that exchange in Chapter 26. To be honest, I was afraid some people might be offended by my idea. LOL! The 'other deaths I've forgotten about'? Very funny. But if I'd forgotten about them, why did you remind me of them, dear friend? If you want one of my characters to die, I'll be more than happy to oblige. *grins maliciously* Death scenes, my favorite. BTW, your favorite parts of Chapter 28 were also mine. Well, great minds think alike. Or so the saying goes.  
  
Beck: I'm not surprised that you had to skim back through. I wondered if I had waited too long for the two of them to make up. I had mental pictures of my readers sitting at their screens saying, 'Who the heck is this Emily person?' Glad you liked it, though.  
  
Just I: So glad you like sappiness. Cause this fic contains plenty of it. A crush on Alex, you say? He is rather cute, isn't he? Do you have any kind of mental picture of him, or do I need to describe him a bit more vividly? Let me know, okay?  
  
Steph: Thank you, my friend, for the lovely compliment. And another reader who likes the sappiness? Yay! Looks like I'm on the right track here.  
  
PhiloNysh: Against regulations? Well, I posted a one-shot story in the Lord of the Rings section about a 'bad day on the set' (that was the title). My main character was Sean Astin, who plays Sam, and I didn't know that 'actor fics' weren't allowed. Chalk it up to ignorance on my part, I suppose. I'm glad you think this story is going great. Thanks for your review.  
  
Stella Maynard: I do intend to write more about Emily. I guess I would compare her to, well, I'm not sure which of L.M. Montgomery's characters she is most like. Emily is not dumb, but she's not brilliant, either. I guess you could say she goes through life with a rather carefree attitude. She also tends to say the first thing that pops into her head which, as we have already witnessed, tends to get her into trouble. And she's somewhat boy-crazy. My goodness, everyone misses Walter so much! But you must be patient. As for Tom Gillis, he'll pop up soon enough. But in what way? Hmmmm.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 17, 1941  
  
With her circle of friends complete once more, Chris had more fun than she had dreamed possible. When one took into consideration the fact that Walter was still missing, it was amazing that Chris was able to have fun at all. But when one has friends, truly good friends, one can always find something to laugh about.  
  
Chris was in particularly high spirits today. Today was Cecily's fifteenth birthday and, for a celebration, Chris, Alex, Lorelei, Emily, Sylvia, and Matthew had planned a scrumptious picnic. It seemed as though Alex and Sylvia weren't the only ones having a summer romance. Matthew and Cecily were 'sweet' on each other. Chris and Lorelei reveled in this and took advantage of every opportunity to throw the two together.  
  
So this afternoon found all of them having a semi-quiet picnic by the Lake of Shining Waters. At the moment, Alex and Sylvia were walking, hand in hand, on the other side of the water. Matthew was teaching squeamish Cecily how to fish. And Chris, Lorelei, and Emily all sat by the remains of the feast, talking and laughing about the two couples.  
  
"What did I tell you about those two?" Emily said with an air of superiority, indicating Cecily and Matthew. Chris smiled.  
  
"They're hardly married, yet, Emily. Matthew only just turned fifteen."  
  
"And Cecily hasn't even been fifteen for twenty-four hours," Lorelei put in. "I won't have you doing any matchmaking with my baby sister, Emily. Besides, you also said Cecily might marry Robert."  
  
Emily scrunched up her nose.  
  
"Oh, Robert. Not likely. I think he'll be a bachelor all his life. Besides, he's too serious to get married."  
  
"It seems to me, Emily, that being serious would not count against one's matrimonial prospects."  
  
"Maybe. Personally, I would hate to marry someone who was serious all the time like my brother is. I think I would choose someone more like Alex."  
  
"Emily, he's your cousin!" Lorelei protested in horror. Emily threw her a withering glance.  
  
"I didn't say I wanted to marry Alex. I said I wanted to marry someone like him."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"What about Bradley? Aren't you still writing to him?" asked Chris. She had learned last month that Emily, although she still wasn't allowed to see Bradley, was able to write to him.  
  
"Oh, didn't I tell you about the letter I got from him two days ago?"  
  
Chris and Lorelei both shook their heads. Emily frowned.  
  
"Hmmm. I was sure I did. Oh, well. It seems that Bradley has moved on. Some girl from Four Winds."  
  
The other two girls could only stare at Emily as she placidly bit into a cookie.  
  
"You don't seem too upset, Emily," Chris ventured to say.  
  
"I don't, do I? Oh, believe me girls. I was plenty upset when I first read the letter. But then something occurred to me. I never could have been happy with Bradley. Besides, his nose was too big. And his right ear sticks out just a little farther than his left ear. It makes for a most unbalanced look."  
  
"These seem like rather frivolous reasons to cross him off your list."  
  
"True. But there's one more reason. He's been seeing this girl for eight months. And they're engaged. They'll be getting married next month."  
  
"Those are three reasons. All of them very good. But I still can't fathom why you aren't more upset."  
  
"What good would it do me to get upset over a boy who obviously didn't care one whit about me? Besides, I discovered not long after I read the letter that I didn't really care one bit about him, either. It must have been the moon. There was a full moon the night we 'pledged our troth'."  
  
"That has to be the reason, then," Lorelei said decidedly. Emily changed the subject.  
  
"What do you think of that match over there?" she asked, gesturing towards Alex and Sylvia. Chris and Lorelei both grinned.  
  
"I think it's wonderful," declared Chris. "Those two simply belong together. I've known they would hit it off since last summer. But I never dreamed it would go this well. Look at them. They simply adore one another."  
  
"They do seem to be a perfect match," Lorelei agreed.  
  
"Almost as perfect as you and Will are, Miss Christine," Emily smiled. Chris blushed a little.  
  
"I would hardly say that my relationship with Will was perfect," she began, but Lorelei cut her off.  
  
"Yes, you would, and don't bother denying it. The two of you are so in love it's sickening," she said teasingly.  
  
"Have you heard from him recently?" Emily asked. This question elicited a frown from both the other girls.  
  
"We used to receive a letter every week, but we haven't had one for nearly a month now," Lorelei said. Chris nodded her head.  
  
"Same with me. Of course, I'm not too worried. It's not as if he's actually in Europe, but I do miss the letters."  
  
The conversation would've gone on if it hadn't been for the fact that an ear-piercing shriek from Cecily caught everyone's attention. All three girls looked over to see that Cecily had caught a fish, but she did not seem too proud. Apparently, when she pulled the fish out of the water, she had been somewhat disconcerted when said fish flew straight at her face. Rather than drop the pole, however, she grasped onto it tightly as if it were a lifeline and so the fish continued it's merry little dance around the poor birthday girl. Matthew, trying gallantly to refrain from laughter, reached out to catch the fish several times, but his student was moving around so much, the fish was always just out of his grasp.  
  
Chris, Lorelei, and Emily were not hampered by any 'special feelings' for Cecily and so felt free to indulge in their laughter. Had they not been sitting already, they surely would've fallen over. As it was, Emily was already lying on the ground, clutching her sides. Lorelei, torn between concern for her sister and the absurdity of the entire situation, tried to contain her laughter somewhat. Chris let her own silvery laughter ring loud and clear.  
  
It was at this juncture that a tall figure, clad in uniform, came into view. Sylvia and Alex, who were facing towards the figure, saw him first and their own laughter abruptly stopped. The other five members of the merry party did not notice him. Matthew had finally succeeded in catching the fish and was now trying to console Cecily, who was terribly embarrassed. Whether she was embarrassed about the entire fish incident or rather it was because Matthew had put his arm around her shoulder comfortingly, the author is not sure. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. The other three girls were too busy trying to stifle their laughter and they did not hear the man come up behind them until he spoke.  
  
"Now this is the kind of scene I've missed," he said. Chris froze at the sound of his voice and slowly turned herself around. When her stunned mind processed who the newcomer was, she vaulted herself off the ground and threw herself into his arms.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Oh, I'm so mean, aren't I? Which one is it? Joseph? Walter? Will? Come on, now. Give me an answer and I'll give you another chapter. Wow. I'm really getting evil, aren't I? I'm just kidding of course. I would never withhold chapters just because you guys didn't answer a question. But I do love those reviews! 


	30. A Homecoming

A/N: I told you I was already working on this chapter.  
  
Strawberry Lip Gloss: You seem upset. Or am I reading too much into your review?  
  
Steph: Another one that seems upset. Did I do something wrong?  
  
*Author walks away, a perplexed and innocent look on her face.*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chris held on to him so tightly that Walter was having trouble breathing. He finally managed to pry her off him, but he kept his arm around her.  
  
"You've grown," he said. "I thought we talked about that before we left."  
  
Chris laughed through her tears.  
  
"Some promises are harder to keep than others," she replied. There wasn't a chance for any more banter, for the others had all come rushing up and were practically tackling Walter.  
  
"We've missed you so!"  
  
"Where have you been?"  
  
"Are you hurt?"  
  
"Were you captured?"  
  
"Why didn't you write?"  
  
"Did you shoot many Germans down?"  
  
This last question came from Matthew, who fell silent when Chris glared at him for bringing that up. Walter laughed and Chris shivered with delight at the sound.  
  
"I can't handle all these questions at once," he said.  
  
"Have you been home yet?" Chris asked.  
  
"I went there, but no one was in. Do you know where Mom and Dad are?"  
  
"Well, Dad was going to the newspaper office this morning, but I thought he told Mother he would be back in the afternoon. Perhaps she took the twins and went to meet him."  
  
"No, the twins are at Orchard Slope. Aunt Di is watching them. I have seen her. Orchard Slope was the first place I went when no one was home. That's how I knew all of you were here. She told me about the picnic. By the way, where's the birthday girl?"  
  
Cecily came up to Walter rather shyly. He grinned at her.  
  
"And I thought Chris had grown! You're twice as tall as you were when I left, Ceci. Happy Birthday."  
  
"Thank you, Walter."  
  
"And who are these two? New friends?" Walter asked, indicating Alex and Sylvia. Chris laughed.  
  
"Walter, don't you recognize him? Oh, of course you don't. You haven't seen him in over five years. This is Alex. Uncle Shirley's son. And this is Sylvia Guest. She's our doctor's daughter and one of my best friends."  
  
"Alex? I never would've guessed. It's wonderful to meet you, Sylvia, and it's great to see you again, Alex. Great to see all of you again."  
  
Chris noticed that Walter's gaze lingered a little on Lorelei as he said this, but Lorelei didn't notice it. For some reason, Chris wished that she had noticed it. At the same time, she was rather glad to see that Walter's feelings for Lorelei hadn't changed much.  
  
"Are you home to stay, Walter?" Matthew asked. Chris saw the shadow pass over her brother's face and instantly knew the answer, but Walter recovered quickly.  
  
"Oh, there's plenty of time for talking about that later. Right now, I'd kind of like to find Mother and Dad. Anyone up for a game of 'Find the Parents'?"  
  
Everyone agreed to help Walter find Ken and Rilla. They set about cleaning up the picnic area immediately. In the commotion, Chris managed to get Walter off to the side.  
  
"How long will you be home, Walter?" she asked. He studied her for a moment, as if wondering how much he could get by with telling her. When he realized there was no doing it halfway, he sighed.  
  
"Never could put anything over on you, could I? I'll only be able to stay for a week or two. My part in this war isn't finished, yet."  
  
"I wish it was," Chris muttered. Walter smiled and hugged her again.  
  
"I wish it was, too," he replied. "But it's good to be home for now. And I intend to put every minute of my time to good use. By the way, where's Leslie?"  
  
*************************************Meanwhile, in Vancouver  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this, Leslie?" Debra asked her friend.  
  
"I'm positive. Debra, I've wanted to do more for the war effort for a long time now. Don't you see? This is exactly what I need."  
  
"But is it something you'll be able to give yourself wholly to? I don't doubt your conviction, Leslie, but I don't want you to rush into something you'll regret."  
  
"Who's rushing?"  
  
"You are."  
  
"Debra, I have never been the type to do something impulsive. That's more my sister's style. This feels right. I just wish you could come along."  
  
"Well, you never know. My husband isn't having much luck getting somewhere for us to live and I don't think America will be staying out of this war much longer."  
  
"Oh? Why?"  
  
"Just a feeling I have. President Roosevelt feels they should fight, but so many of the people are against it. Everyone lost so much in the last war."  
  
The two fell silent for a little while, thinking about the stories their families had about that war. Leslie's thoughts inevitably went to Walter. He was named after their uncle, who had died in Courcelette. Where was he now?  
  
Thoughts like this only convinced Leslie that what she was doing was right. Mentally, she began to make a list of everything she would need. This was the chance she had been waiting for.  
  
Earlier that month, the Women's Division of the RCAF had been authorized. Training would take place at Havergal College in Toronto. When she first heard the news, Leslie had been rather ambivalent. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it just had to be Providence. How long had she desired to do something more for her country than attend dances for soldiers and help the Red Cross with various duties? Leslie realized that these things were indeed important, but something inside her had cried out for more.  
  
She had made her decision only a few days after the announcement. Now she just had to tell her family back at Green Gables. They were expecting her back by the end of the summer. What would they say? After all, it wasn't as if she would actually be going into battle. Secretly, however, Leslie almost wished she could do just that very thing.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the telephone downstairs. She heard Aunt Aurelie pick it up and then  
  
"Leslie! Phone for you, dear!"  
  
Leslie looked at Debra, puzzled. Who could be calling her at this time of day? She went down the stairs and took the receiver from Aunt Aurelie.  
  
"It's Chris," her aunt explained. This only served to deepen Leslie's confusion.  
  
"Hello?" she said into the receiver.  
  
"Leslie! Leslie, I'm so glad I caught you. I've got someone here that wants to say hi, okay?"  
  
"Um, okay."  
  
There was a scuffling noise in the background, accompanied by some giggling. Leslie rolled her eyes, but she smiled. This was probably something Chris and Alex had cooked up.  
  
"Hello, Leslie," a voice on the other end of the line, most decidedly male, said. Leslie froze and went pale. Debra, coming down the stairs, saw the expression on her friend's face and became concerned. Had they finally received word about Walter?  
  
"Hello?" the voice said again, obviously anxious. Leslie finally replied.  
  
"Walter?" she breathed.  
  
"Yes, it's me."  
  
"Walter?! I can't believe it! Is it really you?"  
  
"Last time I checked. I've come home for a couple of weeks. It's a long story, but I was hoping I could tell it to you in person."  
  
"Hoping? You know better than that, Walter Ford. I'll be on the first train out of Vancouver. Tell Mother and Dad that we'll send a wire letting them know when I should arrive."  
  
"I will. Leslie?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I missed you."  
  
Leslie's eyes, which had been filling with tears this entire time, finally spilled over and ran down her face in rivulets.  
  
"I missed you, too, Walter. I'll be home as soon as I can."  
  
"Can't wait."  
  
"Me neither. Good-bye."  
  
"'Bye."  
  
Leslie hung up and turned to Debra.  
  
"I've got to get home," she said. Debra grinned.  
  
"Well, what are you standing there for, you goose? Let's get you packed!"  
  
She grabbed Leslie's arm and the two of them tore up the stairs and into Leslie's room.  
  
Meanwhile, back at Green Gables, a feast was being held in Walter's honor. Ken looked at his eldest son several times throughout the meal, pride and concern mixed in his eyes. Rilla watched Walter like a hawk, exclaiming over how thin he was and how she was going to make sure he got plenty to eat while he was home. Matthew gazed at Walter with undisguised hero worship and adoration.  
  
Chris was rather quiet during the whole meal, content to sit next to the brother she had missed so much. Soon Leslie would be home and her family would be complete again, if only for a little while. For Chris, there was no greater gift than that.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
A/N: Now, that wait wasn't too bad, was it? 


	31. Concerning the War

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize from the works of L.M. Montgomery  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: You read through the whole story again? I'm incredibly flattered. What's going to happen next, you ask? Read on and find out.  
  
Beck: 'Not dead' is a very admirable character trait. I have been planning on Leslie joining the Women's Division of the RCAF for quite some time now and I'm so glad you like the idea. This story is proving to be much longer than originally planned, but I WILL finish it. I'm just not sure how long it will wind up being. The longest story on ff.net that I've ever read was 93 chapters. But I'm more than positive that this one will not be that long.  
  
Stella Maynard: Yay! Someone liked my part with Cecily and the fish. Thank you! Yes, Walter is back, but you understand that he has to leave again, right? Right? Please don't hurt me.  
  
Love books: The nose part was inspired by both Rilla and by Rae Gardiner from the 'Pat' books. The moon thing was also taken from the 'Pat' books. Pat Gardiner is forever blaming things on the moon. Are you in love with Alex? Hmmmm. I shall have to add you to my ever-growing list.  
  
Gufa: Someone else enjoyed the part with Cecily and the fish! Yay! Again. A traumatic moment, you say? Sounds intriguing. One of your uncles taught you how to fish? My uncle taught me how to fish, too! I'm so happy that you liked that line about friends. Aha! Constructive criticism time. I knew I couldn't go too long without getting some of that from you. *winks and grins* You are right. The last chapter was rushed and, looking back over it, I can definitely see the 'understatement' problem. I hope you will forgive me for that. Perhaps I should rewrite that part and repost it. But you liked the end of the chapter! I'm so glad. And I hope you like this chapter a little better. Wait. Let me rephrase that. I hope this chapter gives you more satisfaction. There. That sounds better.  
  
Leiko: Well, I updated frequently for a little while, anyway. I'm sorry to keep you waiting for this chapter. I'll try to do better, but it all depends on my mood.  
  
Strawberry Lip Gloss: You cried? Oh, my. Please don't cry. I apologize for keeping you waiting so long, but I have been in a rather silly mood for the past few days and it's so hard to write more of this story when I feel silly.  
  
Steph: Joseph? Well, Joseph is alive. Injured, but alive. You'll hear a little bit more about him in later chapters..  
  
Marzoog: Warm and fuzzy? You think you feel warm and fuzzy now, just wait.  
  
Just I: AAAAAAA! *clutches chest* You got me! You are not raining on anyone's parade nor are you a party pooper. Maybe I'm just thinking a little bit too much about the movies that are made about WWII. For instance, one of my favorite scenes in movies of all time is a scene from 'A League of Their Own' (excellent movie, by the way), when one of the women is in tears because she's so afraid for her husband and then, all of a sudden, there he is. Wounded, but alive. OMG, I bawl every time I see that. I promise I'll try to explain how Walter got there without the RCAF notifying his family. I realize that several people are concerned about Debra's husband, but I can't reveal anything about that, yet. You shall have to trust me, I'm afraid.  
  
Sweettooth: Yes, Walter likes Lorelei. But we'll have to wait for that little match. Lorelei is still very hurt because of Eric.  
  
A/N: I have the feeling that I will have a few angry readers by the end of this chapter. Just don't hurt me, please! *hides behind chair*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~July 26, 1941  
  
Leslie was hunting. Hunting for stray Walters. Her brother had disappeared not long after lunch and a worried Rilla had sent Leslie out looking for him. Leslie wasn't at all worried about Walter. Not in the common sense, anyway. She had sensed a subtle change in her twin that no one else really had. Walter could never keep anything from Leslie, not even when they had been at outs a few years ago.  
  
The first place Leslie looked was the Lake of Shining Waters, but Walter was nowhere to be seen. This puzzled her. All the Green Gables brood had their favorite spot in Avonlea. Leslie's was the Dryad's Bubble, Chris loved Hester Gray's garden, Matthew was rather partial to the Haunted Wood. Walter could usually be found at the Lake of Shining Waters.  
  
Undaunted, she continued her search, finally spotting a head of shining black hair that was just above the tops of the flowers in the field behind Orchard Slope. Sighing, she made her way over to her brother.  
  
Walter was lying on the ground, propped up on his elbows. He craned his head around when he heard someone approaching and grinned when he saw it was Leslie.  
  
"Come and join me, dear sister. I could use some company."  
  
Leslie sat down next to him and fiddled with her skirt. She had wanted to have a true heart to heart with Walter ever since she arrived. Now that she had the chance, she wasn't sure of how to start the conversation. Walter stole a sideways glance at her.  
  
"Well, come on. Out with it, Leslie. What's bothering you?"  
  
"What's it like? Over there, I mean." Leslie wished she could find a hole to crawl into as soon as the words came out of her mouth. She hadn't meant to ask so bluntly. She had wanted to ease it into the conversation. Walter hid a smile by picking a nearby blade of grass and sticking it in his mouth like a toothpick.  
  
"I wondered how long it would be before someone asked me," he said. "All of you have been tiptoeing around the subject, just as if there wasn't a war at all."  
  
"We-we didn't want to bring it up in front of you," Leslie explained. "We thought it was best to let you forget about it for a little while."  
  
"Forget about it? My dear sister, I couldn't forget the things I've seen in the past year. Even if I never talked about them for the rest of my life."  
  
"Is it that horrible?"  
  
Walter flung his piece of grass away from him and turned on his side to face Leslie.  
  
"I won't lie to you, Leslie. You're a big girl and I can't protect you from this as I could protect you in the past. The things I've seen are horrible. I won't go into detail, but that is partly for my sake as well as yours. It's bad enough I have to see it in my mind without having to say it out loud."  
  
"I'm sorry, Walter. I shouldn't have asked."  
  
"No. No, you did right by asking. I'm just surprised it took you this long. And I'm surprised that Chris didn't beat you to it. She's always been a little more forward than you."  
  
"And a little more brave," Leslie added. Walter shook his head.  
  
"No. She isn't any braver than you are. It's just a different kind of bravery. That's all."  
  
"Maybe," Leslie said reluctantly.  
  
"Do you remember the day Chris threw that glass at me?" Walter asked suddenly. Leslie couldn't help but smile.  
  
"You deserved it," she retorted.  
  
"Yes, I deserved it. But do you remember what she said that day?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, it's all true. How a girl of that age could be so naïve and so wise all at the same time, I don't know. But I discovered it was true all too soon. I heard her saying those things every time we flew a mission. Every time I shot down an enemy plane. Every time I saw one of my friends fall from the sky. Being in the RCAF, though, you are blessed in a certain way."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I've never clearly seen the faces of the pilots I've shot down, never had to put a face on someone I killed. Others cannot say that. The army is doing most of the ground fighting. Some of it, I understand, comes down to hand to hand combat. To me, that means face to face as well. I couldn't do it. The things I live with now are bad enough."  
  
Leslie was silent, thinking of Joseph. Her Joseph. If what Walter said was true, then Joseph had seen all these things. She closed her eyes and said a mental prayer for Joseph and for Will and for all the other boys that were having to go through such nightmarish things.  
  
Walter turned to lay on his back again, watching Leslie out of the corner of his eye. He had wondered how much he should reveal about the past year when he returned to Green Gables. He had foolishly thought that he could avoid the whole subject, but he realized that his family, particularly his sisters, knew him far too well to think that he was the same Walter they had sent away. In spite of the familiar grins and careless jokes, Walter was unable to keep hidden the hints of sorrow and age that had crept into his eyes. Someone had once said the eyes were the window to the soul. Now Walter understood that phrase all too well.  
  
He was suddenly very tired of the subject. Grabbing Leslie's hand, he pulled both himself and her off the ground. Leslie stared at him as if he'd gone mad.  
  
"Let's go fishing!" he said.  
  
"Are you insane? You know I don't like to fish."  
  
"Alright, then. Let's discuss your enlistment in the Women's Division of the RCAF and the fact that you haven't told Mother and Dad about it yet."  
  
Leslie's eyes widened in shock. How did Walter know about that? Oh, well. It didn't matter now. What mattered was that she was in no hurry to inform her parents that she would not be coming home to stay at the end of the summer.  
  
"Let's go fishing," she agreed.  
  
********************************************  
  
While Leslie and Walter were fishing, Alex and Chris were taking a stroll down Lover's Lane, having a talk. The subject of their discussion? Walter.  
  
"He'll be going back soon, you know."  
  
"Yes, Alex. I know. I can hardly stand to think of it. What will it do to Mother? You've seen how she's been since he came home."  
  
Alex nodded. His Aunt Rilla had been happier than he'd seen her since his arrival from Vancouver. He only hoped that she wouldn't take another nosedive after Walter left.  
  
"Has he told you when he's supposed to be leaving?"  
  
"Next week. Oh, Alex, I hardly know what to say to him. I've missed him so much and I certainly don't want him to leave again. But I can't very well beg him to stay. That would only make him feel worse."  
  
"Yes, it would. Believe me, Chris. I don't think he wants to leave any more than you want him to, but he has a responsibility."  
  
"Responsibility! I'm sick of the word. I'm almost as sick of that word as I am of 'duty'. Honestly, is that all you men ever talk about?"  
  
"No. We also talk about beautiful girls who bite our heads off for no particular reason. Fascinating creatures, those."  
  
Chris started to shoot back a hot retort, but shame took over and she bowed her head, red-faced.  
  
"I'm sorry, Alex. I didn't really mean to snap at you. I have a dreadful temper."  
  
"You don't say," Alex observed drily. Chris glared at him and he shot her a grin. The one that never failed to get a smile out of her. Chris turned her head away.  
  
"Oh, no you don't. I won't have my infectious grin wasted. Show me a smile, Christine Ford, or I'll tell Lorelei that Walter likes her."  
  
That got a response.  
  
"How did you know about that? I didn't tell you. Did Walter?"  
  
"No. But any idiot with eyes could see the way he looks at her. How long has that been going on?"  
  
"I'm not exactly sure when it started, but Walter told me about it just before he left last year. Lorelei was with Eric at the time, though, so he made me swear to not tell anyone."  
  
"But she isn't with Eric now. I think she should know."  
  
"No. Lorelei isn't ready for any declarations of love. She may have let her friends back in, but there's still a wall around her heart where men are concerned."  
  
"Eric was not a man," Alex growled, still furious over Eric's treatment of Lorelei. Chris smiled at his protectiveness.  
  
"I couldn't agree with you more. But he hurt Lorelei and she has a very sensitive soul. It's part of what I love about her. She feels things so deeply."  
  
"Well, she has you to see her through it."  
  
"Don't forget Emily and Sylvia."  
  
"Oh, don't worry. I could never forget Sylvia," Alex replied, his brown eyes growing dreamy. Chris rolled her own grey orbs and pushed Alex away from her.  
  
"If you're going to get all moony-eyed, go find the object of your affection. I have no desire to be around a lovesick cousin for the rest of the day."  
  
"That's not fair. I had to put up with you and your 'Will is so handsome, Will is so sweet, Will rescued a baby from a burning building'."  
  
"I never said that!"  
  
"Ha! You might as well have. Honestly, you'd think the boy was perfect."  
  
"He is."  
  
"Now who's getting moony-eyed?"  
  
Chris gave Alex an irritated glare.  
  
"Why don't you stop annoying people?" she asked.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't. It's my mission in life," he replied cheekily.  
  
"Well, mission accomplished. Go bother someone else."  
  
She gave him a playful shove in the direction of Wyndhaven. Alex merely gave her a charming smile in response. She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed before pushing his cap down on his head a little further and heading in the direction she had pushed him. As he walked, he silently congratulated himself on turning the conversation away from Walter. Conversations about Walter inevitably led to conversations about the war and Alex didn't want to think about that.  
  
September 15. His birthday. It was coming up all too soon. Alex knew what was expected of him and he also knew he was not a coward for dreading it. What man in their right mind looked forward to participating in a battle? Before he had left Vancouver, he and his father had discussed this very thing. Shirley Blythe had made sure that his son was not delusional when it came to the subject of war. For the first time since he married Aurelie, Shirley had spoken of his own experiences and feelings during The Great War.  
  
Alex tried to clear his mind of these thoughts by thinking about Sylvia. Now there was a girl worth fighting for. Not just because she was beautiful, either. No. It was just a hundred tiny things that, when he added them up, meant that she was the girl for him. Alex had never been so sure of anything in his life. Sylvia. Yes, she was a much more pleasant subject to think upon. Shoving his hands down into his pockets, Alex picked up his pace towards Wyndhaven.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Okay, okay. You knew it had to happen sometime. I'm sorry, but Alex must go. Haven't decided what branch he'll go into yet, though. Any ideas? Anyone at all? 


	32. Trust

A/N: La-la-la. Here we are again! Fun, fun, fun! So far, I haven't received death threats on Alex's behalf, but I'm not holding my breath or anything.  
  
Disclaimer: If you recognize anything in this story (i.e. places, characters, etc.), then chances are I don't own it. I do, however, own Chris, Will, Walter, Leslie, Lorelei, Emily, Sylvia, Alex, and many other people that would take a whole chapter to list so I'm just going to stop right here. Can you tell I'm in a silly mood? That could be a bad thing. On the other hand, I'm less likely to kill someone off when I'm in a silly mood.  
  
SHOUT-OUTS  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: I'm afraid I don't have anything more substantial than a chair to hide behind. Would you protect me if someone tried to kill me? And, actually, you pretty much covered everyone in your review that I'm going to cover in my story. Walter, Will, Joseph, Alex, Rick (Debra's husband), and possibly Tom. Any other soldier I mention, with the possible exception of those that join later due to their age right now, will probably be in passing. (No, I do not mean passing as in 'dead'). At least I don't think I do.  
  
Strawberry Lip Gloss: I know all about your weakness for the brother/sister mush. In fact, I thought of you while I was writing that part. You get your wish. This chapter is mostly Walter. Glad you like the idea of Leslie joining the RCAF. I wasn't going to send Chris to college, but I think your review may have changed my mind. I'm still thinking it through. I think you gave me an idea for another chapter! Boy, you are just all kinds of helpful aren't you? *hands Strawberry Lip Gloss an e-bouquet* Thanks!  
  
Love books: Jealous of Sylvia? No, no, no. We can't have that. Want to know what else we can't have? *shakes finger at love books* We can't have you skipping lunch. That's not good for you, you know. I'd hate to think I was responsible for someone going hungry during the afternoon. I'm so glad you like Alex. To tell you the truth, I sort of modeled him after a cousin of mine, Kevin, and his father, Kenneth. He's a mixture of the two of them. I love them both very much and I miss them, too. But guess what? I get to see them in three days! Yay! I haven't seen them in nearly three years and now I'm going for a visit! Alright, just this once, I'll let you off the hook. If you really, really, really want to know what will happen to Alex, just e-mail me at the e-mail address on my bio page and I'll tell you, okay. I don't want to write it here. People might get upset. But I'll let you know, okay?  
  
Emma: Hello there! Welcome to my strange little world! So glad you're enjoying my story and thank you very much for the compliment. I haven't finished with Anne's part, yet, so fear not. And here's more about Walter.  
  
Gufa: Fishing? Yes, I did do that on purpose. It's fishing weather here in Arkansas and fishing is one of the few outdoor things I enjoy. As long as I don't have to bait my own hook if we're using live bait. Ewwww. I do understand what you mean about the discussions. Thank you so much for reviewing. Your reviews always brighten my day a little more.  
  
Stella Maynard: Yes, I always wondered if maybe the men in the air force weren't at least slightly thankful that they never got a clear, clear look at the pilots they shot down. I mean, I know they could see them, but how many of them actually saw the expression on the other pilot's face? I don't know. Maybe I'm reaching there. I'm still working on Emily, though, and you are right. You're not supposed to like Eric. Glad you liked the part about Alex being scared but knowing that didn't make him a coward. I was rather proud of that myself. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Steph: Thank you for the comment about building relationships between the characters. That's very important to me. I am sorry you're getting confused. Let me think for a minute. Oh, yes. It's Chapter 12 that contains the family tree. Can I let you in on a secret? I keep the Family Tree chapter up while I'm writing on this story. It makes things easier for me, too. See? I even confuse myself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~August 2, 1941  
  
Walter looked down at the pocket watch in his hands. It was two o'clock in the afternoon. He had exactly twenty hours before he would leave Avonlea again. He had spent the past two days saying his goodbyes to Alex, who had left on the last day of July, and Leslie, who had left yesterday. With Walter standing by her side, she had finally told their parents of her plan to be part of the RCAF. Walter didn't know what she had been expecting, but it was clear from the expression on her face that she was surprised by their parent's reaction.  
  
On the other hand, Walter hadn't expected anything but the reaction Leslie got from their parents. Both Mother and Dad had been completely supportive, although Walter could tell neither was particularly thrilled that their daughter hadn't told them about this earlier. Leslie had spent the rest of the evening explaining some of what she would be doing at Havergal College. It also seemed she would not be alone. Her friend Debra would move to Toronto with her. Debra couldn't enlist because there was a chance her husband could send for her at any moment, but she would be there to keep an eye on Leslie and Walter could tell that his parents appreciated that.  
  
His goodbyes with his twin had been rather tearful on both sides. Walter was no longer ashamed to cry. He had seen too much in the past year to start caring who saw him cry. He and Leslie had held on to each other for a long time before they finally realized they had to let go. Let go. It seemed letting go was something Walter was becoming quite good at. The trouble was, it wasn't something he wanted to be good at.  
  
"Mother, I'm going for a walk," Walter said, poking his head around the doorway to the parlor. Rilla and Chris were in there, doing some sewing for the Red Cross. His mother looked up and nodded.  
  
"Just don't be gone too long, Walter," she said. What she didn't say was that she wanted to spend more time with him before he left, but Walter heard it loud and clear.  
  
"Can I come?" Chris asked. Walter noticed, not for the first time, how desperate his sister seemed to be to get away from all the sewing and other things she helped their mother do for the Red Cross and various other organizations.  
  
"It's alright with me as long as Mother doesn't mind," Walter replied, shrugging. Chris turned a hopeful face to her mother, but Rilla was too busy trying to thread a needle to notice her daughter's expression. Otherwise, her answer might have been different.  
  
"I really do need you here, Chris," she said, somewhat absent-mindedly. Walter watched as Chris's shoulders slumped a little. But his sister didn't argue, as she would have done a year ago, and it served to remind Walter just how much she had grown up.  
  
"I'll be back soon, Chris," he said. Chris looked at him and read in his eyes what he left unspoken. 'We'll talk then,' he telegraphed to her. She brightened slightly at that and turned her attention back to her sewing.  
  
All in all, it was with a rather heavy heart that Walter left the house. He was concerned about Chris. For one thing, he hadn't seen her crack a book since his arrival. Granted, the fact that he was home probably had a lot to do with that, but he had never seen his sister go this long without reading. Not to mention that she just didn't seem like herself when they were home. She was too quiet for Walter's liking. He suspected that she was bored. Chris was not the type of person who would be content to sit and watch life pass her by. He hadn't missed the fleeting looks of longing that would pass over her features whenever Sylvia had brought up the subject of going to Queen's in the fall or when Lorelei would talk about attending McGill.  
  
Walter's train of thought abruptly switched course. It always did when Lorelei entered his mind. He had been so sure that his feelings for her would pass, but it seemed that he was living proof of the old saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'. He had, of course, heard all about the Eric fiasco. Chris hadn't written him about it, for reasons of her own, and no one else had bothered to mention it. Oddly enough, it had been Alex who had told him of Eric. Walter had held himself together admirably well. Until he was alone, that is. Consequently, he had spent almost an hour picking splinters out of his hand.  
  
To be sure, it had been rather invigorating to picture Eric's face on the side of Joseph's barn. But Walter hadn't meant to knock a hole in the wall with his fist. Actually, Walter hadn't known that he was capable of knocking a hole in the wall with his fist. It seemed like such a sturdy wall. Oh, well. At least it was patched now, with some help from Alex.  
  
He had surprised himself with the degree of his anger. If he had talked to Alex, who could be irritatingly insightful at times, he would have been told that it wasn't just anger he was dealing with. Not that he wasn't angry. He was furious with Eric for treating Lorelei that way. But he was also furious with himself for not being able to protect her. And he was jealous because Eric had possessed what Walter had longed for and Eric had thrown it aside.  
  
Walter was so busy brooding that he didn't notice where his steps were taking him. So he was somewhat surprised to find himself right in front of Shadowbrook. And he had an excellent view of Lorelei, who was hanging some laundry on the line just behind the house.  
  
'If only I could tell her,' he thought as he watched her shake out a wet apron and attach it to the line. She looked so beautiful. Walter couldn't quite remember when he had started having these thoughts about Lorelei, but he knew that it was before Eric had swept her off her feet. Lorelei had always been pretty, of course. When she was younger, a very, very little girl, she had been quite conscious of that fact and Walter had done what any other boy his age would have. Well, maybe.  
  
Just thinking of the punishment he had been dealt when he was discovered with Mother's pinking shears and a large clump of Lorelei's golden locks made Walter's hands automatically travel to his backside. It was the only time any of the Green Gables brood had been punished by spanking. In truth, he had been punished both for cutting Lorelei's hair and for having the pinking shears so close to her in the first place. The part of Lorelei's hair that had been cut was quite close to her head and Ken Ford had realized that his son could've hurt Lorelei terribly, possibly even killed her if the girl had jerked in the wrong direction. That was the real reason for the severity of his punishment.  
  
Lorelei hadn't spoken to him for nearly two years after that, in spite of the fact that she and Chris were best friends. Indeed, the worst part about the whole incident hadn't been the spanking. It had been that Chris didn't speak to him, either. But she gave in after only a week.  
  
"Hello, Walter!" Lorelei called. Walter jumped, startled out of his reminiscing. Then he grinned and started towards her.  
  
'Breathe, Lorelei. Just breathe,' Lorelei told herself as she watched Walter coming towards her. She had been very disturbed to find that Walter's return had made her very happy. And not just because she was happy for Chris and the Fords, either. Every time she had seen Walter over the past two weeks, her heart had refused to beat normally. And Lorelei hated it. Not because she didn't like Walter, but because of what happened to her the last time her heart had refused to beat normally. She had listened to it then, but she refused to do so now. Silly schoolgirl antics. She was reading too many romance novels. College students should behave more sensibly.  
  
"Laundry day?" he asked, indicating the basket on the ground. To her eternal shame, Lorelei was unable to stop the crimson flood that made it's way over her face. She had been helping her mother with the laundry all day! Really, she must look a fright!  
  
"Y-yes," she stammered, blushing even more because of that.  
  
"Perhaps I could help?" Walter asked. Lorelei was horrified.  
  
"Oh! Oh, no. No, that's fine. I'm almost done anyway."  
  
Walter looked at the full basket again and then back at Lorelei. He gave her a lopsided grin and Lorelei's heart rebelled once more.  
  
"What brings you here, Walter?" she asked as she picked up a white sheet and tried to untangle it.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure, exactly," he replied, watching her struggle with the uncooperative sheet. "I was just out for a walk and, somehow, I wound up here."  
  
"I thought you'd be spending all day with your family," Lorelei observed, now frantically trying to untwist the evil sheet without looking like she was frantic.  
  
"Oh, I wasn't going to be away long. I just needed to get away for a little while. You know. Look at all the old haunts again before I left."  
  
"Mmmmmmm," replied Lorelei, now deep in thought as to why this sheet seemed to have it in for her. Why now? Why must she look like a complete ninny in front of Walter? Why must she care if she looked like a complete ninny in front of Walter?  
  
Lorelei's cheeks were flushed red with a mix of embarrassment and anger. Walter thought that she looked quite lovely when she was angry. But he also realized she was embarrassed and he didn't want that. Stepping forward, he gently put a hand on her shoulder. To Lorelei, it felt like a hot iron.  
  
"Sheets are much easier to hang up if a person has some help," he said softly. Lorelei started to refuse again, but she realized the truth in his statement and nodded meekly instead.  
  
Walter took one end of the sheet while Lorelei held onto the other and, between the two of them, the sheet was soon dancing merrily in the wind.  
  
"Thank you," Lorelei said as she reached for the next item in the basket.  
  
"No problem," Walter replied. "Hanging up the laundry was one of the few things I managed to do right when we were all helping Mother with the chores. Now actually washing the laundry was a completely different story."  
  
Lorelei laughed and Walter felt his breath catch in his throat at the sound.  
  
"Chris told me about your adventure with the laundry. I had forgotten about it until you said that."  
  
Walter laughed as well.  
  
"Well, that will teach me to keep my mouth shut, won't it? Can't have beautiful girls knowing about all my embarrassing moments, can I?"  
  
Lorelei's laughter stopped as Walter's words sunk in. She turned around slowly and was quite disconcerted to find that he was standing close to her. Very close to her.  
  
"Lorelei. Lorelei, why won't you look at me?"  
  
"Now why would I want to do that?" she asked teasingly, trying to get back to the banter they had previously shared. Walter was not to be sidetracked.  
  
"Please, Lorelei. Please look at me."  
  
Every part of Lorelei screamed that she shouldn't look at him. That this whole thing was ridiculous. But her heart, stubborn organ that it was, made itself heard loud and clear. Lorelei looked up.  
  
"I have to tell you, Lorelei. I can't leave again with you not knowing."  
  
"Again?"  
  
"I've felt this way for a long time. No, that's not exactly true. I've had feelings for you for a long time. I didn't realize how strong they had become until I saw you at that picnic on Cecily's birthday. Lorelei, I love you."  
  
"No."  
  
"No?"  
  
"No, Walter. You don't love me."  
  
"I think I know my own heart, Lorelei. And I think you might just feel the same way, too. I realize that I'm not nearly good enough for you. I know I'm not the type of man you always dreamed about. But I also think that we have a connection, Lorelei. There is just something between the two of us that I can't quite put my finger on. But it feels so right, Lorelei. And if you listen to your heart, I think you'll discover the same thing."  
  
"I listened to my heart once, Walter. It did me no good. All it led to was pain. Pain deeper than any I have ever felt before."  
  
"So, because of Eric, you won't give me a chance?"  
  
"No. Because of Eric, I can't give myself a chance."  
  
"This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."  
  
"Please try to understand me, Walter. I do feel what you do."  
  
"Then why won't you give this a chance?"  
  
Lorelei turned away from him and Walter watched, knowing she was holding back tears.  
  
"I can't. It hurts too much, Walter. I'm sorry."  
  
"Lorelei, I would never hurt you! Why, you've known me almost your whole life! I've nothing to hide from you."  
  
"I know, Walter. You're a good man. A truly good man. But what you deserve is someone who can trust you with her whole heart and love you with her whole heart. Don't you see? I'm not able to trust anymore. I don't even trust Chris as much as I once did. Oh, I know it's awful, but there's nothing I can do. Believe me, I've tried. Walter, if I can't trust, then I can't love. Can't you understand?"  
  
Walter looked at Lorelei for a moment and realized she was right. But he wasn't going to give up. This wasn't over. Not by a longshot. For now, he would let it rest. Lorelei needed time. When he came back home for good, then his dream would come true. He had waited a year. He could wait a little longer.  
  
"I understand, Lorelei," he said softly. Lorelei closed her eyes, thankful that she had gotten through to him.  
  
"But it won't always be this way," he continued. "Someday, Lorelei, you'll be able to trust again. And when that day comes, I'll be waiting."  
  
Lorelei started to protest, but the look in Walter's eyes told her it was useless. He would wait. Lorelei knew that look. Walter was as stubborn as Chris.  
  
"I have to go," he finally said. "Will you be at the station tomorrow morning?"  
  
"Yes. Walter, please-."  
  
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Not even Chris.  
  
"Thank you, Walter."  
  
"I'd do anything for you, Lorelei. You'll find that out someday."  
  
He reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face.  
  
"I love you, Lorelei."  
  
Lorelei fought the tears that rebelliously brimmed in her eyes.  
  
"Goodbye, Walter."  
  
He nodded at her, grinned, and then disappeared. And Lorelei was left alone in the yard of Shadowbrook, one hand pressed against the cheek that Walter had caressed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Oh, I'm so mean, aren't I? Well, at least he told her.  
  
Post A/N: 200 REVIEWS!!! *throws ticker-tape everywhere* Thank you guys so much for all your support. Can we make it to 300? Well, if I make this story long enough, I suppose we can. What do you think? Read and review! 


	33. Decisions in the Wee Hours

Disclaimer: I am in a good mood. Please do not make me depress myself by telling you about all the things I don't own.  
  
A/N: I'm so sorry it took this long! But I've been in New Mexico, USA, for my cousin's wedding. It was beautiful, she was beautiful, everything was beautiful. I did the solo and, so I've been told, did a fairly good job. Needless to say, it's taken me a while to recover from the trip. It's a twelve hour drive, after all. I missed all of you terribly, though. I think I went through fanfiction.net withdrawal. (FFNW) Besides that, I tried to post this yesterday and ff.net was down. *GRRRRRRR!!!*  
  
Yet another A/N: Oh, one more thing. I'm going to start skipping around again, so don't get angry, okay? If I cover this war month by month, this story will go on forever!  
  
SHOUT-OUTS  
  
Love books: Wow! I think that's the longest review you've ever left! No, I do not think you are weird. You want to know a secret? I had a crush on Gilbert for the longest time, and not just because of the miniseries, either. And when I read L.M. Montgomery's 'Pat of Silver Bush' and 'Mistress Pat', I quickly developed a crush on Hilary Gordon that has never really gone away. He was just such a nice guy and those are hard to find these days. I am glad to hear that you actually do eat lunch. Thanks for the reassurance. Thank you for the advice, too. I might just take a look at that.  
  
Stella Maynard: Captivating? Thank you. I like that word. I think I may use it in a future chapter. Have I used it before? And, if not, why didn't I? Stupid me. Everyone so far has really liked the 'punching the wall' thing. And you think you were torn in your feelings? You should've watched me while I was writing the chapter! I was such a basketcase. Really, I was. Yes, I know you didn't want him to leave so soon, but he isn't wounded and I couldn't think of a reason to keep him there much longer. Besides, I'll probably be focusing almost entirely on Chris now, with a possible Leslie chapter every now and then.  
  
Strawberry Lip Gloss: You do realize that you're limiting me, don't you? Oh, well. I don't mind being limited when it comes to something like that. I'm so glad you enjoyed that chapter. And I hope you like this one just as much.  
  
Marzoog: I am flattered. I think. 'Painful death' and 'Eric' just belong in a sentence together, don't they? I'll have to think about that one.  
  
Emma: I'm so glad you like the story so far. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
Steph: Everyone really seems to like the idea of Walter and Lorelei together. While I was writing the last chapter, though, I kept typing 'Leslie' instead of 'Lorelei'. It gave that chapter a whole new meaning. Really weird. Anyway, as for Chris, I'm still debating over her fate, but I think all will be revealed in this chapter. Note that I said 'think'. Chris is really being indecisive and it's terribly frustrating for me.  
  
Faerie5: I've missed you! Yes, Alex is becoming everyone's favorite, it seems. I wish I had been able to capture Will the same way I did Alex. Truthfully, I'm very proud of Alex. Thank you for telling me all that about the characters and how I'd fleshed them out so well. I had been getting worried that all of you were getting tired of reading about hum drum things.  
  
Gufa: Nitpicking? Not you. Never, never, never. *crosses fingers behind her back* LOL I'm just kidding. You know that you are free to criticize one of my stories any time. And you are probably right about the two words canceling each other out. Yes, Walter is very insightful. Kind of like Alex. Maybe it's genetic or something. You picked out a favorite line! I love it when people do that! Hope you like this chapter!  
  
Just I: A League of Their Own is a wonderful movie. Everyone should see it! So you liked the sheet scene? It was rather delicate to write. At one point, I had typed Walter saying, 'It's easier to deal with sheets when there are two people', but I don't think I need to point out that it sounded a bit risqué. Especially for an LMM fic. I didn't intend it that way, but I knew that's how it sounded. Thankfully, I was able to fix it. Fear not, you haven't seen the last of Alex. He'll be back. Later.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: Yes, he told her. I wasn't going to have him tell her, but he refused to listen to me. I guess he just had to get it all out in the open. That's alright, though. I'm rather proud of that chapter. Sorry it's taken so long to update but, as I mentioned before, I've been away from the internet.  
  
Miri: No matter how many reviews I get, I still miss you. You've been with me from the start! Of course I miss you! Silly girl. You and Alex, too? Oh my. Yes, I know I've neglected Will and Chris shamefully, but I intend to change all that soon. Whether through a letter or a memory, I haven't decided yet. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
Una Meredith: Hello! By the way, thanks for your encouraging words about the relationships. I've had my doubts about them as well, but you've strengthened my resolve. Thank you for reviewing my story!  
  
Sweettooth: I wondered where you were. You reviewed just in time for me to respond in this chapter! So you like Emily? Good. Great! I'm glad you do. I would truly hate for you to die, my friend, but I can't make any promises concerning our 'brave boys overseas'. You know the drill.  
  
Vicki: Don't know when I'll finish it, my friend, but I have every intention of finishing it. I have too many ideas for the end to just stop writing. Thanks for the review!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~October 8, 1941  
  
"I hate rain," Chris grumbled. She pushed herself out of her usual chair and went to stand by the window. Anne Blythe, who had arrived for a long promised visit yesterday, smiled slightly.  
  
"Why do you hate the rain?" she asked, never looking up from the little dress she was sewing for little Persis.  
  
"Because it makes me feel trapped," was the reply. Chris's tone was so clipped that Anne put down her sewing and looked at her granddaughter sharply. She had noticed since arriving yesterday that Chris just wasn't acting like herself. She was too quiet, much too reserved. And she tended to be somewhat snappish. None of these things were at all like Chris.  
  
"What else makes you feel trapped, Chris?" Anne asked in a soft tone. Chris turned away from the window and stared at her grandmother as if Anne had just sprouted two horns and purple fur. Quickly, she adopted the same cheerful attitude that usually worked when someone asked her a question like that. Deep down, though, she knew that she wouldn't be able to hide anything from her grandmother.  
  
"I don't really know what you mean, Grandmother. Really, I just wanted to go for a walk today. Maybe go see Emily or something. Now that it's raining, I don't see how I can."  
  
She returned to her seat and dutifully picked up the scarf she had been making for Will, deliberately keeping her eyes trained upon the dark blue material so she wouldn't have to look at her grandmother. Anne watched Chris for a while longer, but decided not to mention the matter further. Not right now, anyway. She sighed inwardly and went back to work on the dress.  
  
**********************************Later (much later)  
  
It was still raining. Chris woke up to the sound of a particularly loud clap of thunder, followed shortly by two cries from the nursery. A door, the door to her parent's room, opened and shut softly and Chris listened as her mother's feet padded lightly down the hallway, followed closely by the heavier tread of her father. Satisfied that everything was well in hand, Chris turned on her side and tried to go back to sleep.  
  
But sleep evaded her. Long after the twins had stopped crying, long after she heard her parents return to their room, Chris still lay there. Her eyes were wide open. Try as she might, she could not sleep. The rain fell softly outside her bedroom window. Unreasonably, she blamed the weather for her insomnia. The truth was that the sound of rain usually lulled her to sleep.  
  
After tossing and turning for a few more minutes, Chris gave up completely and got out of bed. She picked up the pocket watch that Walter had given her for safekeeping and was further irritated when she saw that it was three o'clock in the morning. She hated three o'clock in the morning.  
  
Although she wouldn't admit it to herself, Chris seemed to be feeling hatred towards a lot of things lately. She wouldn't admit it to herself because then she would have to acknowledge the reason for her sudden changes in attitude. Her grandmother had hit a very tender spot earlier. Chris felt trapped, and not because of the rain.  
  
She was bored. Sitting around Green Gables, helping with chores, waiting and praying for all those she knew and loved who were overseas. It was so monotonous, Chris found herself wanting to scream at times. When Lorelei and Sylvia had been around, it wasn't so bad. At least then she'd had friends to share things with.  
  
But Sylvia was off at Queen's and Lorelei had started McGill just last month. Of course, she had Cecily and Emily, but those two were still in school. They didn't have the extra time that Chris seemed to have. Besides, it just wasn't the same.  
  
Her thoughts drifted to Leslie, who was still attending Havergal College in Toronto. She had received a letter from her sister only a couple of days ago. Leslie had gone on excitedly about how she finally felt like she was doing something worthwhile and how she wished Chris could be there, too.  
  
Chris knew better, though. She admired Leslie for joining the Women's Division of the RCAF, but she knew it wasn't for her personally. Chris almost wished it were. At least she would have something to do then. Her thoughts drifted back to Walter and the conversation she had with him the night before he left.  
  
~You can't just sit around here, Chris. Avonlea is a wonderful place and I love it just as much as you do. But you need to do something with yourself. You'll just get bored here. Go to college. Or go visit Uncle Shirley like Leslie did.~  
  
A somewhat bitter smile came to Chris as she remembered Walter's last suggestion. Going to Vancouver was completely out of the question. She would be doing the same thing there that she was doing here. And Alex was no longer in Vancouver. He had joined up the day after his birthday. Of course, Chris had known that he would, but that didn't make it any easier. Well, at least he wasn't overseas. Yet.  
  
She shook her head to get rid of the morbid thoughts that crossed her mind so often these days. Even if Alex were sent overseas, he would be fine. They were all going to be fine. Alex, Will, Walter, Joseph, Tom, and all the other boys that she had sent off 'with a smile'. Chris tried to count them all, but gave up after she reached the number fifteen. So many of her childhood friends had gone, and she suspected that Alex would not be the last member of her family to join. Robert, Emily's brother, would be turning eighteen in just a few months. And they had received a letter from Aunt Persis just last week saying that her oldest son, Marcus, who was the same age as Robert, was trying to decide between the air force and the infantry. But Chris absolutely refused to think about Matthew going. Surely the war would be over by then.  
  
Chris sat down on the bed next to hers. The bed that belonged to Leslie. She wished Leslie were home now. Maybe she would be able to help Chris out with this problem. After all, Leslie had felt the same way. She understood.  
  
The problem with that was the fact that the situations weren't the same. With Walter and Leslie both gone, Matthew still in school, and Bryan and Persis being so young, Chris felt that she had no business leaving Avonlea. Mother needed her. Father needed her. So she stayed. She ignored the nagging whispers in her head that talked about college and other such opportunities. After all, so many people she loved were enduring things much worse than her present situation. They were far from home, surrounded by people they didn't truly know, facing certain death almost every day. When she looked at it from that point of view, she was ashamed of herself for being so petulant about not being able to go to college.  
  
She didn't know that her parents wondered why she seemed to have given up on going to Queen's or McGill. Had they known that she didn't bring it up because she felt that she should stay home, they would have been truly horrified. Ken and Rilla Ford were not selfish parents. To be sure, they would not have been particularly happy to see another of their children leave, but they would never want her to stay simply because she thought they needed her.  
  
Her façade that she had managed to put up for so long was beginning to slip. The arrival of her grandmother made matters worse. She couldn't keep a secret from her grandmother for too long. It was simply impossible. Anne Blythe was far too insightful. To be honest, she was surprised she had been able to hide it from her parents for this long. But she supposed a lot of that had to do with the fact that they were both so busy these days. Father worked long hours at the newspaper office and Mother had her hands full with the Ladies' Aid, the Red Cross, and the twins. Even with Chris's help, she was an extremely busy woman who never seemed to have enough time to do everything she wanted to get done.  
  
With so many thoughts whirling in her head tumultuously, Chris somehow managed to pick out one lone thought. She was hungry. Glancing again at the pocket watch, she saw that it was now three-thirty. Wonderful. She had managed to waste an entire half-hour. Sighing, she put on her robe and quietly left the room. Once downstairs, she was startled to see that the kitchen light was on.  
  
She didn't have to ask herself who was up. The smell of hot tea filled her senses and she knew it was her grandmother. Chris wavered for a minute, not really wanting to face her grandmother at the moment. But her empty stomach overruled her and she entered the kitchen resolutely.  
  
Sure enough, grandmother was sitting at the table. She held a steaming cup of tea in one hand and Chris's copy of 'Wuthering Heights' in the other. When Chris walked in, Anne looked up from the book and smiled at her granddaughter.  
  
"Sit down, Chris. Let me get you a cup of tea."  
  
"No, thank you, Grandmother. I think I'd rather have milk right now," Chris replied as she reached for a glass. She poured herself some milk and then went to the pantry. Seconds later, she emerged triumphantly with the remainder of the chocolate cake Rilla had baked for Anne's arrival. Not even bothering to cut a slice off (there really wasn't that much left), she set the cake down on the table, fetched a fork from a nearby drawer and seated herself. Anne watched all this with amusement, her left eyebrow raised in a perfect arch.  
  
"Are you planning on eating all that yourself?" she asked.  
  
"No. You can help me," replied her granddaughter. A second fork, seemingly materialized out of thin air, was soon set next to Anne. Anne grinned, picked it up, and joined Chris.  
  
"So why are you up at this hour?" asked Chris between bites. "Did the storm wake you up?"  
  
"No, not exactly. I usually can't sleep when something is troubling me."  
  
"What's troubling you?"  
  
"My granddaughter."  
  
The soft spoken answer served to wipe the smile off Chris's face. Slowly, she brought her eyes up to meet her grandmother's.  
  
"I'm sorry if I've troubled you, Grandmother. You really don't need to worry. It isn't a big problem or anything."  
  
"I'm afraid I'll have to argue with you on that point, Chris. If it wasn't a problem and if it wasn't bothering you, you would not be down here eating chocolate cake. You would be upstairs, sleeping."  
  
Chris shrugged nonchalantly. At least she tried to shrug nonchalantly.  
  
"The thunder woke me up."  
  
"Nonsense. Have you forgotten who you're talking to? Even if the thunder did wake you up, the rain would've put you back to sleep in a heartbeat. Now suppose you tell me why you are really up."  
  
Anne watched, knowing that her granddaughter was struggling with herself. Chris was doing a good job at keeping her face unreadable, but her eyes, so like her grandmother's, betrayed every emotion she felt. Chris knew that it was useless to lie to her grandmother. Besides, she was tired of lying.  
  
"I'm bored," she said quietly. Anne lifted her eyebrows.  
  
"Bored? Bored with what?"  
  
"Everything."  
  
"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific than that, dear."  
  
Chris sighed. Obviously, her grandmother was not going to accept such a general answer. She really didn't want to confess everything, but something inside her insisted that she should open herself up.  
  
"I'm bored with Avonlea. I'm bored with waiting around here, doing nothing but sewing, knitting, cooking, cleaning. Oh, it's not that I mind doing them. Mother needs my help. I know that. But it's all I ever do. There's no one to talk to, no one to listen to me. Leslie, Lorelei, and Sylvia are all gone. Cecily and Emily are too busy with school to be able to spend much time with me. All I can do is sit here at Green Gables, waiting for letters from my brother and my friends, waiting to hear if they've died in some far off place."  
  
She cut herself off, unable to stop the flow of tears that were coming now. She certainly hadn't meant to sound so petulant or so morbid. Chris was ashamed of herself. What would grandmother think now?  
  
"I understand."  
  
Chris looked at her grandmother in amazement. Through her haze of tears, she saw a look of clear understanding on her grandmother's face. Of course grandmother understood. Hadn't she done the same thing years ago?  
  
"Why haven't you told your parents?"  
  
"I can't tell them."  
  
Her grandmother frowned at this.  
  
"Christine, there is nothing you CAN'T tell your parents. You should know that by now. The plain truth of the matter is that you WON'T tell them."  
  
Chris scowled as she violently shoved her fork into the innocent chocolate cake.  
  
"I think I see where Alex gets his ability to read people's minds," she muttered, knowing it was no use to keep anything hidden anymore. Anne bit back a smile.  
  
"I can't read people's minds, Chris. Neither can Alex. But when you really love someone and you're close to them, it's easy to see what they're thinking and what they're feeling."  
  
Anne said no more, but waited for Chris to speak up. The ball was in her granddaughter's court now. She picked her own fork up again, along with her book in the other hand, and placidly resumed eating chocolate cake while reading about Heathcliff and Cathy.  
  
Chris scowled again, but inwardly this time. She glanced sideways at her grandmother and stabbed the poor cake viciously. Why couldn't people just leave her alone about this? Why didn't they understand? Even Will was against her. In his last letter, he had made his feelings very clear.  
  
~I suppose, my love, that most men of this day and age would be more than happy to know that their intended is safe at home, darning socks and baking pies. But that isn't you. That isn't the girl I fell in love with. Go to college, Chris. I know you're aching to. Your parents will understand, love. They're not ogres, you know. Go and learn to your heart's content. After all, someone has to be able to answer all the questions our children will ask.~  
  
Despite her current bad mood, Chris couldn't help the tiny smile that crept across her lips as she remembered that last sentence. 'Our children'. How could two little words bring such feelings of warmth and joy to her heart?  
  
The sound of a page being turned brought Chris out of her little day – or night – dream. She glanced over at her grandmother and sighed heavily. Anne took no notice of the sound and went right on reading. After a few more minutes of silence, during which the remainder of the chocolate cake disappeared entirely, Chris finally gave in.  
  
"Okay. You win. You always win. But you didn't play fair," Chris insisted, referring to her grandmother's feigned lack of interest in the conversation.  
  
"That's why I always win," stated Anne Blythe matter-of-factly. She laid the book down on the table and gave her full attention to her granddaughter. But she couldn't help adding, mischievously, "When you're old and decrepit, you won't have to play fair, either."  
  
Chris almost laughed at the idea of her grandmother being 'old and decrepit'. Of course, there was no longer a trace of red Anne Blythe's hair, but it was still thick, hanging down in one long silver braid at the moment. Her face was wrinkled, naturally, but her grey eyes were still full of mirth and youth, despite the sorrow they had seen.  
  
"Now that you've come to your senses, why don't you tell me why you WON'T talk to your parents about all these things?"  
  
Chris took a deep breath and then launched into all the reasons she couldn't go. It wasn't hard to name them all. They had been playing over and over in her head for months now. Mother needed help with the twins and the house, Leslie and Walter were already gone and her parents would miss her too much, etc. When she was done, the clock in the hall was chiming five o'clock. Anne, knowing that Ken would be waking up soon, moved to start breakfast. Chris helped her and, for a while, wondered if she had said something wrong. Her grandmother hadn't said a word, yet.  
  
Just as they started to set the table, there was the sound of the upstairs portion of the house waking up. Chris heard her father's voice, then her mother's. A door shut and another opened, indicating that Rilla was trying to wake Matt up. Chris knew her mother would be in there for a while. Matt had never been easy to wake up. She took her window of opportunity.  
  
"Well?" she asked, eyeing her grandmother.  
  
"Well what?" Anne echoed, as she set the jug of milk on the table. Chris bit back the urge to sigh.  
  
"What do you think of my reasons?"  
  
"I think they are all very good reasons," Anne replied. Chris blinked, surprised by the answer.  
  
"They are?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
This was unexpected, especially coming from her grandmother. Chris wasn't sure what to think. She had been sure that her grandmother would argue with her, try to convince her to go like everyone else. But Grandmother was agreeing!  
  
"I didn't say I agreed with the reasons," her grandmother stated softly, once again peeking into Chris's mind. "I just said they were good reasons. Very unselfish reasons, too. I'm happy to know that my granddaughter would think of her parents before herself."  
  
"But?" prompted Chris, knowing there had to be a 'but' somewhere in there.  
  
"But I don't think you're parents would like the idea of you staying here when you want to go to college. Do you want to go to college, Chris?"  
  
"Yes," came the answer. Her voice sounded so decisive that Chris herself was taken aback. Did she really want to go that badly? Her grandmother smiled knowingly, hearing something of herself in Chris's tone.  
  
"Then you should tell your parents. If you don't tell them today, I'll be telling them before I leave."  
  
Chris's jaw dropped.  
  
"But you can't do that! You promised..."  
  
Her voice trailed off as she realized that her grandmother had never promised not to tell anyone about their talk. Irritated with herself for not having extracted such a promise before beginning this whole conversation, she glared at her grandmother semi-playfully. Grandmother merely smiled innocently.  
  
"I wouldn't betray a confidence, Chris," she said, her tone becoming serious. "But I do think you should tell your parents. They're worried about you, you know. Parents aren't as blind as you children would like to think. The sooner you tell them, the better you'll feel. Part of the reason for your moods is the fact that you're keeping everything bottled up inside. Besides, if you tell them now, there's a chance you can get enrolled in the next term. That way, you won't have to wait a year."  
  
Chris pondered this for a moment. She heard her mother coming down the stairs. A decision had to be made. She looked her grandmother square in the eyes and nodded.  
  
"Alright. I'll tell them at breakfast."  
  
And Anne smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: I know. It's a rotten ending. But, to make up for it, I'm posting two chapters at once. Yay! Read and review! You know how I love reviews! 


	34. World War II Begins

A/N: See? I told you. Two chapters in one day!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Well, except for the original characters. But even they have minds of their own and I'm finding them extremely difficult to control.  
  
Warning: You've all been dreading the date. But guess what? Now it's here.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~December 7, 1941  
  
Emily watched with rather sad eyes as Chris threw a few more things in the trunk she would be taking to Montreal after Christmas. Chris had been packing, bit by bit, for the past week and a half. Ever since she had been told that she was accepted to McGill, she had been quite a bit more cheerful and, so Matt said, a good deal easier to live with.  
  
"I will miss you, Chris. It seems that you're leaving just when we were getting back to where we used to be," Emily said, unable to keep the pout out of her voice. Chris smiled at her cousin lovingly.  
  
"You could always join me in the fall, you know. It's not too late."  
  
"And spend four boring years studying, cooped up with books and professors? No, thank you."  
  
"Then stop complaining," Chris said, not unkindly, as she picked out a sweater to put in the trunk. Emily's eyes went wide.  
  
"Oh, you're not taking that one, are you?" she asked. Chris looked at her in surprise and then looked back at the dark green sweater in her hand.  
  
"It's the only thing I have that goes with the skirt," she replied, pulling the skirt in question out of the trunk. Emily eyed both pieces of clothing hungrily. Chris noted the expression.  
  
"Let me guess," she said, laughter in her voice. "You want to borrow them while I'm away."  
  
"I didn't say that," Emily huffed, with a toss of her red curls.  
  
"No, but you meant it," Chris stated. She looked at her cousin and then back at the sweater and skirt. Really, the skirt was almost too short for her anyway. And the sleeves in the sweater weren't hitting her wrists in exactly the right spot anymore. Looking back at Emily critically, she realized her cousin was about the right size for both sweater and skirt. Emily was no longer as roly-poly as she had once been. And the green was just the right shade to bring out her emerald orbs. Shaking her head, Chris proceeded to hand the clothes to her cousin. Emily looked at her in disbelief.  
  
"You mean I can borrow them?" she cried.  
  
"You can have them. They're almost too small for me, anyway. And they'll look better on you, Em."  
  
"Thank you, Chris."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Chris resumed packing, unworried about the fact that she'd just given away two articles of clothing. She had several new outfits that Mother had insisted upon either buying or making. Chris had tried to convince her mother that the clothes she already had would be just fine, but she was secretly glad that she had so many nice things to wear at school.  
  
"So you'll be staying with Lorelei?" Emily questioned.  
  
"Yes. Her Aunt Sara said she would be 'thrilled' to have me there. I must confess, though, that I'm a little nervous. I've never been to her home in Montreal, but Will told me it's almost like a mansion."  
  
"Well, their aunt's father was a very successful businessman. And their aunt has made the company even more successful. Not to mention all those tours she did when she was younger, being an executionist."  
  
Chris couldn't keep back her laughter and Emily looked up at her, puzzled.  
  
"What did I say?" she asked, her eyebrows knitted together in annoyance.  
  
"She wasn't an 'executionist', Emily. Sara Stanley was an 'elocutionist'."  
  
"Well, what's the difference?"  
  
"There's a big difference, my sweet cousin. You make it sound as though Lorelei's aunt went on tour, killing people. She gave performances. Read poems and works of literature."  
  
"I know what an elocutionist is, Christine. I just don't see why you had to laugh. You know what I meant."  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. And yes, I knew what you meant."  
  
"Good. Now you also know why I have no desire to go to college."  
  
Chris didn't respond to that, choosing instead to go back to their earlier topic, which was living in Montreal. In particular, living in the house of Sara Stanley Harding and her husband, Gregory.  
  
"It's just that Lorelei's aunt and uncle are in such an elite social circle," she began, but Emily cut her off.  
  
"And neither of them give two pins about it, Chris. You've met both of them before. You know they like the island more than Montreal. But Montreal is where her business is and where his law practice is. They can't just up and leave all that behind."  
  
"I would," Chris said emphatically. Emily grinned.  
  
"There are special circumstances surrounding them and you know it. Besides, you know what Lorelei said about their children."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Lorelei said that when her cousin, Peter, graduated from college, her aunt was going to put the business in his hands. Then she and her husband will move here and establish another law practice. Lorelei told me that Peter is only sixteen and already knows almost all there is to know about the company. He works there part-time, you know."  
  
Yes, Chris knew. She had only met Peter a couple of times, but he seemed nice enough. Not to mention very intelligent.  
  
"I guess it's just last minute jitters. I want to fit in. I want them to like me."  
  
"They already do like you, Chris. And since when did you care what strangers thought of you? You must be terribly nervous."  
  
"I don't care what they think of me, exactly. I just don't want to be a bad reflection on our family. Or on the Island."  
  
Emily laughed.  
  
"There's only one difference in the sour old gossips there and the sour old gossips here. The gossips there probably have quite a bit more money. No matter where you go, Chris, someone is going to talk about you. Why, they're even talking about you here. Haven't you heard?"  
  
"Yes, I've heard," Chris responded with a smile. The matrons of Avonlea were appalled that Ken and Rilla Ford were sending their daughter off to live with someone they barely knew. Never mind the fact that the someone was a close relative of the Kings. Never mind the fact that Chris would be staying there with Lorelei. It was sad to see the Fords go downhill so badly. First it was Leslie, joining the military, apparently not content to be a woman. Now Chris was going off to college, which wasn't so bad in itself. Avonlea had long since become accustomed to sending it's daughters off for higher education. The problem here was that Chris would be living with a lawyer. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, she'd be living with that businesswoman.  
  
Although the ladies of Avonlea should've become immune to shock long ago where Sara Stanley was concerned, the cousin of Felicity King had made more than a few ripples in Avonlea society when people heard she was taking over her father's business. Sara was already married by that time, with two small children, and the Avonlea gossips had shaken their heads and cluck- clucked their tongues until they all looked like a flock of chickens with neck problems.  
  
It was understandable to everyone, of course, why Lorelei would live with her aunt and uncle. After all, they were family. But the Fords were just asking for trouble sending Chris, who had never truly behaved as a young lady should anyway, to live with the Harding family.  
  
'It's an ill wind that blows no good,' Chris had overheard Mrs. Charlie Sloane (Gilbert Blythe called her Mrs. Rachel Lynde the Second) saying in the post office a few days ago. 'Sara'll poison the girl's mind, that's what. And then what will William Pike have to come back to?'  
  
At the time, Chris had been furious with Mrs. Sloane. But now she laughed about it. She was doing exactly what Will wanted her to do, actually.  
  
"I'm afraid life will be very dull around here without you, Chris."  
  
"Nonsense. You have plenty to keep you busy. Besides, Cecily is still with you. And I need you to keep an eye on Matthew for me and make sure that Mother isn't working too hard. You haven't forgotten that you promised, have you?"  
  
"No, I haven't forgotten. Honestly, Chris, you worry more about Aunt Rilla than anyone I've ever seen. She's a grown woman with six children. And one of those children is you. I think you forget that every once in a while."  
  
"You know what? For someone who's as dumb as you pretend to be, you sure do say some smart things sometimes."  
  
Emily grinned in response. Chris turned back to her trunk and sighed.  
  
"I'm tired of packing," she proclaimed suddenly. Then, just as suddenly, she slammed the lid of the trunk shut and sat down on it, facing Emily with defiant eyes.  
  
"Well, for heaven's sake! Don't take it out on me. It wasn't my idea for you to pack."  
  
"I hate packing," Chris said, ignoring her cousin's defensive attitude. "That's why I've been doing it little by little. If I do it all at once, I'll just get in a bad mood."  
  
"And this is a good mood?" queried Emily. Chris looked at her for a moment before smiling, then laughing.  
  
"It is now," she replied. Emily merely shook her head as if to say she had trouble believing that she was related to the strange creature perched on top of the trunk before giving in to her own laughter.  
  
But their laughter was cut short by the sound of a car pulling up to Green Gables, followed by the car door slamming. The front door was heard next and then  
  
"Rilla! Rilla, where are you!"  
  
Chris looked at Walter's pocket watch, then at Emily.  
  
"That's father. What's he doing home? It's only three-thirty!"  
  
The two girls looked at each other for a split second before dashing out Chris's bedroom door and down the stairs. They found Ken and Rilla in the kitchen. Rilla was reading some papers Ken had brought home and her eyes were wide with disbelief. This actually calmed Chris somewhat. At least she knew nothing had happened to one of the boys. On the other hand, whatever news Father had brought home couldn't be good, judging by the pallor of Rilla Ford's face.  
  
"What is it?" she asked. Her father turned to her, his eyes full of sorrow. He had been following this story since it broke that morning, unable to believe what he was reading. Even now, the whole thing seemed ludicrous. How could it be possible?  
  
"The Japanese attacked the United States this morning," he said, sounding calmer than he felt. Both girls stared at him, not believing what they were hearing.  
  
"Where?" Chris heard herself ask.  
  
"Pearl Harbor. A good chunk of the USN's Pacific Fleet has been destroyed. They bombed the ships and the airfields. When they weren't bombing, they were using the guns on the Zero's."  
  
Emily was unfamiliar with the term 'Zero', but Chris wasn't. Since Walter had joined the Air Force, she had made it her business to know about all the planes, enemy or otherwise. The Zero's were small, but capable of inflicting quite a bit of damage.  
  
"How many did they kill?" Emily inquired, stuttering over the word 'kill'.  
  
"They're not sure. But over a thousand would be a safe estimate, in my opinion."  
  
A thousand! Chris couldn't even begin to wrap her mind around the number. Over a thousand men and women, killed in a war they weren't even part of. How could such a thing happen? Something in her mind latched on to one bit of information, though. Pearl Harbor. Hadn't Leslie mentioned something about Pearl Harbor several times? Wait. That was where....  
  
Chris rushed to the phone, hoping she could get hold of her sister.  
  
*************************************  
  
"Debra? Debra, please let me in."  
  
There was no reply. Leslie sighed heavily. It was nearly eight o'clock in the evening. Debra had been in her room since noon. She hadn't come out once, not even for supper.  
  
"Debra, it's Leslie. Please let me in, Debra."  
  
Again no response. Leslie waited for a few more minutes, but she finally gave up and turned to go to her own room. She wasn't five steps away, though, when she heard Debra's door creak open.  
  
"Come in," Debra said.  
  
Leslie took a deep breath and entered the room. It was dark, except for the lamp by Debra's bed. Debra herself was half-laying, half-sitting on the bed, her back propped up against the headboard. In her hands, she held a framed picture. Leslie didn't need to ask. She knew what the picture was and when it had been taken. Gently, she sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Debra to speak. The little apartment was so quiet that both women could hear that the people on the first floor were listening to their radio. And they were on the third floor of the building.  
  
"Did I ever tell you about our wedding day?" Debra suddenly asked. Leslie was a little surprised by the question, but she merely shook her head in response.  
  
"It was raining. My mother said it was bad luck," Debra smiled ruefully. "But I didn't care. It could've been hailing fire and brimstone and I never would've noticed. I was marrying Rick and that was all that mattered. He sent me a dozen, long-stemmed red roses. The reddest roses I had ever seen. And a letter with them that made me blush until I was as red as the roses."  
  
Leslie smiled. That sounded like something Joseph might do.  
  
"I never had a doubt in my mind as I walked down the aisle. I knew everyone was saying 'marry in haste, repent at leisure'. I didn't care. I knew I was doing the right thing. If I hadn't known before, then the expression on Rick's face as he watched me come down the aisle would've convinced me. I knew he would do anything for my happiness and I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to be a good wife for him."  
  
"You are a good wife. Why, Rick is all you ever talk about."  
  
"I guess Mother was right, though. Rain on a wedding day is bad luck."  
  
Debra promptly dissolved in tears and Leslie was quick to comfort her friend. She had never really seen Debra cry like this before. It was as if her entire soul was being ripped out of her body. Leslie wasn't sure how long she held Debra, but she knew it took a while for her friend to calm down long enough for Leslie to talk to her.  
  
"You can't just give up, Debra. You have no word of Rick, yet. You can't just assume the worst. Didn't you tell me once that I shouldn't give up? I won't let you give up, either."  
  
"If he's still alive, then why hasn't he gotten word to me?" Debra asked. She was obviously too distraught to think rationally, so Leslie did it for her.  
  
"Debra, there isn't really any way he can get word to you right away. The entire island of Hawaii is in a state of chaos right now. He'll get word to you as soon as he can. I bet he's trying to find a way right now. But it isn't as if he can just stroll to the nearest telegraph office or corner phone booth."  
  
Debra saw the sense in this and her tears slowed some. Leslie handed her a nearby handkerchief.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Your welcome."  
  
"No, I mean thank you for trying to talk sense into me. You're right, of course. And Rick wouldn't want me to give up so easily, either. He's smart and he's tough. I'm sure he's okay."  
  
"Of course he is," Leslie said, wishing she could make her heart and mind feel as certain as her voice sounded.  
  
"Leslie?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Will you stay with me tonight?"  
  
Leslie smiled at her friend.  
  
"I'll stay as long as you want me to, Debra."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
********************************************December 10, 1941  
  
Chris came home from a visit to Orchard Slope just as her mother was hanging up the phone. Rilla Ford looked rather strange and Chris's senses were instantly on high alert.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"That was Leslie on the phone."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And she was calling to tell us that Debra received word today about her husband. His ship, the 'West Virginia' was one of the first to sink."  
  
"But what about her husband?"  
  
"He's hurt, badly hurt. But he's alive."  
  
"Thank the Lord," Chris breathed.  
  
And far away in Toronto, a young woman lay on her bed, clutching a wedding photo and crying tears of relief into her pillow. But Debra Bailey's trials were just beginning.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Not terribly interesting, I know, but at least we're past Pearl Harbor now! Aren't you glad? Now, what about the next chapter? College time! 


	35. Meet the Girls

A/N: Hello, again! By the way, though I'm basing most of the characters from the 'Story Girl' books on the 'Road to Avonlea' series, I wanted to let you know that I'm sticking with the book's description of Sara Stanley. For those of you familiar with the series, but not familiar with the books, Sara Stanley was not a blonde. And I'm not downing the series. I loved the series. (Where can I get those DVD's?) I just really liked L.M. Montgomery's description of Sara.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own any characters you recognize from certain books.  
  
SHOUT-OUTS:  
  
Ruby Gillis: Yes, Walter is in love with Lorelei. But will it stay that way? *Mua-ha-ha-ha!!!*  
  
Strawberry Lip Gloss: I simply had to send Chris away to college. She's got too much spirit to just stay home. This chapter will see her in her first few weeks at McGill. I hope you enjoy hearing about it!  
  
Just I: I'm working on more Blythes coming into the picture, but I haven't figured out who they'll be just yet. And I'm still trying to get an angle on Una Meredith making an appearance. 'Resolutely' is indeed a great word. I love words.  
  
On-fire-for-Christ: Yes, it was slow moving, but I'll be picking up the pace after this, I promise. I hope this update comes quickly enough for you! I'm doing my best and trying to be fair to all my fics.  
  
Stella Maynard: I had a LOVELY time at my cousin's wedding, thank you for asking. I didn't get a really good chance to visit with my cousins, but I'm hoping to see them again at Christmas or, at the latest, next summer. I miss them all so much. They're really more like my brother and sisters than my cousins (we grew up together until I was fifteen). Anne is extremely perceptive, I agree. And I was originally going to have Debra's husband, Rick, die at Pearl Harbor. But I just couldn't do it. I have actually grown a little attached to him, even though I haven't written any scenes with him directly. Besides, I felt like I would be dishonoring the men who really 'did' die at Pearl Harbor if I had Rick die as well. Why did I felt that way? I'm not sure. But I did.  
  
Steph: I impressed you? *does happy dance* Oh, sorry. Guess you need a visual. My 'happy dance' looks a lot like 'Riverdance'. Except for the strange stuff Michael 'Lord of the Pants' Flatley does with his arms. Anyway, thanks for the compliment. It's good to know that I showed the bond between Anne and Chris well enough. And no, I couldn't write a chapter without some romance with Will thrown in. I miss him! Now if only I could get him back without getting him hurt! As for the passage about the 'flock of chickens with neck problems', I'll let you in on a little secret. Have you ever seen 'The Music Man'? Not the TV one, with Matthew Broderick. The original movie with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. Great movie. Anyway, that little passage was inspired by a scene in that movie when the ladies of the town are singing a song called 'Pick a Little, Talk a Little'. Even if you don't like musicals, I suggest you at least check that scene out. It's hysterical. And very well written, music-wise.  
  
Stallygal: Welcome to my little world! I'm glad you're enjoying my story so much! Thanks for reviewing.  
  
Love books: I understand. School work really stinks sometimes, huh? And writing the dialogue between Anne and Chris was particularly fun for me. I wish you the best of luck on all your tests! And try to get some sleep, for heaven's sake! You won't be any good at all without sleep. I don't want to have to worry about you! (I sound like a mother again, huh? Oh, well. Chalk it up to my being much older than my brother and sister. It's a habit.)  
  
Miri: Novel, you say? Funny you should mention that. Because I was actually thinking of writing an original Christian romance novel and trying to get it published. What do you think?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~February 3, 1942  
  
"Have you heard from Alex lately?"  
  
Chris looked up from her paper when Lorelei asked her about her cousin.  
  
"Yes, actually. I got a letter from him yesterday. Didn't I tell you about it?"  
  
Lorelei shook her head. Chris frowned and opened a drawer in the desk she was sitting at. Pulling out a letter, she handed it to her friend.  
  
"I'm sorry, Lorelei. I thought I told you about it. You can go ahead and read it. There's no secrets in there."  
  
While Lorelei read, Chris continued her essay on Homer's 'The Odyssey'. School had only begun three weeks ago. But Chris had quickly learned that her Classic Literature professor, Mrs. Bradbury, was one of those teachers who didn't particularly care how many other classes you were in. A six- page essay on a classic work of the students' choosing had been assigned at the end of the first week of school. And it was due tomorrow. Chris was only a procrastinator when it came to doing things she didn't like. Luckily, she liked to read and write. Even more luckily, she had enjoyed reading 'The Odyssey'. And so, unlike many of Mrs. Bradbury's students, she was not panicking. Her paper was almost done.  
  
Chris could tell Lorelei was finished when she heard the paper being folded back up, accompanied by a sigh from her friend.  
  
"He sounds bored," Lorelei said. Chris smiled. Only Alex could find ways to be bored in the military.  
  
"He's irritated because he's still here in Canada. You know Alex. He feels guilty because so many of his friends have already gone overseas, but he's still here. Personally, I hope he stays here. Perhaps that's selfish of me, but I've gotten to the point where I don't care. I've said goodbye too many times already."  
  
Lorelei heartily agreed with this statement. As she fiddled with Alex's letter, her thoughts strayed to Walter. Had she been wrong to turn him away without giving him any hope? No. No, she would have been wrong to send him back to war letting him think that there actually *was* hope. After reassuring herself that she had done the right thing, she turned the conversation to lighter things.  
  
"Are you almost done with your paper?" she asked. Chris nodded in reply, but didn't say anything. Lorelei went on, knowing that she wasn't ruining Chris's concentration. Chris had always been able to do schoolwork and talk at the same time. Lorelei never ceased to be amazed by this. She had to practically lock herself away from all other signs of life to get any schoolwork done.  
  
"I'm sorry I forgot to warn you about Mrs. Bradbury," she said. "I had Mrs. Whittle for Classic Literature last term, but some of my friends were in Mrs. Bradbury's class."  
  
"That's alright," Chris replied, her pen moving continuously as she spoke. "At least you warned me about Dr. Moody."  
  
"Yes, I warned you. And you still signed up for his class. What on Earth possessed you to do that, Chris? I told you what a tyrant he is."  
  
"I like a challenge. And, so far, his class is the most interesting one I've ever been in. I think I'll take another class from him at some point."  
  
"And I think you've lost your mind. I've never seen anyone more deserving of their last name than he is. 'Moody' is an understatement, I think. Perhaps we should call him 'Dr. Cantankerous' or 'Dr. Hyde'."  
  
"It's 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Lorelei," Chris said, correcting Lorelei absent-mindedly.  
  
"Yes, I know that. But Dr. Jekyll is not the monster. Mr. Hyde is. Therefore, Dr. Moody would have to be 'Dr. Hyde'. It wouldn't make any sense to call him by the good man's name."  
  
Chris shook her head in amusement over this reasoning as she put the finishing touches on her paper. After a few minutes...  
  
"There. It's all done. And I doubt even Mrs. Bradbury will be able to give it anything lower than a B+."  
  
"A B+? Since when did you settle for anything less than an A?"  
  
"Since Mrs. Bradbury told us that the highest score she'd ever given anyone was a B-."  
  
"I still say you're crazy for taking her class."  
  
"And I still say that I like a challenge. Now, since I'm all done with my paper, did you have any ideas on what we can do now?"  
  
"Not really. Aunt Sara is having some ladies over later this afternoon, though. So I would prefer it if we weren't here. You know what will happen if we are."  
  
Yes, Chris knew. Two or three hours of gossip and talk of war. Definitely not anything she and Lorelei cared to endure. As a matter of fact, neither did Lorelei's aunt. But these ladies always came over once a week and they were all wives of Gregory Harding's clients.  
  
'The things we women do for our husbands,' Sara Harding would say as the last of the ladies left. Although Chris had only been here for a month, she was already quite fond of the Harding family. With one possible exception.  
  
That exception burst into the room at that very moment. Lorelei, who was known for being a very tolerant person, rolled her eyes at the appearance of her cousin.  
  
Fifteen year old Janet Harding was a pretty young girl. She had been named after Janet King, whom Sara Harding said was the closest thing to a mother she'd ever had. Unfortunately, she did not display one grain of the common sense that her namesake possessed in abundance. Nor did she possess the spark and imagination of her own mother. All in all, she was a rather silly girl and her mother, though she was ashamed to admit it, often despaired of her lack of maturity.  
  
Janet's main concerns in life were clothes and boys, not necessarily in that order. With the glossy dark hair of her mother and the dark brown eyes of her father, she had been turning heads since she was a tiny little girl. But now the boys were taking notice and she was using that to her advantage, much to the dismay of her father.  
  
Chris could not recall having ever met anyone quite as frivolous and silly as Janet. Even Leslie, at her worst moments, was never as bad as Janet could be. Frantically, she searched her mind for an escape. If there was anything she couldn't stand, it was a snob. And Janet was a full-bred snob.  
  
"Don't you ever knock?" Lorelei asked coldly. Janet looked at her with disdain. Though she would never admit it, she was jealous of Lorelei. Janet maintained that she was much prettier than Lorelei. But, last term, Lorelei had committed the unpardonable sin of gaining the affections of a certain young man that Janet harbored secret feelings for. Of course, Lorelei had done nothing to encourage this young man, though she was friends with him, but none of that mattered to Janet. Her pride had been wounded.  
  
"This is my house," Janet replied, just as coldly. Chris rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yes, it is your house. And thank you so much for letting us stay here," she said in a sugary-sweet tone. "But I'm afraid that we were just on our way out. If you needed anything particular, I must inform you that it will simply have to wait until we return."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"The library," Chris replied, knowing it was the one place Janet would not want to follow them. Her answer did the trick and Janet was gone as quickly as she came. Chris winked at Lorelei, then headed down the stairs. After informing Sara that they were going out for the afternoon, the girls went out into the crisp, cold air of Montreal.  
  
"So where are we going, really?" Lorelei asked as they walked along.  
  
"Well, we could go to the dorms and visit some of the girls," Chris said, referring to Lorelei's friends. She did not yet feel comfortable calling them 'her' friends, but she was beginning to like them quite a bit.  
  
"Yes, I suppose we could do that. Hmm. Let me see. Anna is in class right now. So are Natalie and Cathy. But I think Elena and Isabella are out for the afternoon. Shall we head for their room?"  
  
"That sounds good to me," agreed Chris. Secretly, she was rather glad that Anna and Cathy were in class. Out of the five girls, they were her least favorite. Anna was a tall, icy blonde with a personality to match. Lorelei maintained that she was much nicer when you got to know her, but Chris was sure that Lorelei was only friends with her because she was Natalie's roommate. Cathy was nice enough, but her own roommate, Yvette, was not a nice person at all. It was rare for *anyone* to visit Cathy's room. Natalie, Elena, and Isabella were Chris's favorite people so far. And so it was with a light heart that she followed Lorelei to the dorms of McGill.  
  
********************************  
  
Elena and Isabella Donnelly were twins, the only daughters of Patrick Donnelly and Esperanza Padilla. Both their parents had come to America as children. Patrick from Ireland in 1904 and Esperanza from Mexico in 1907. Chris thought the story of their parents very romantic, but tragic. Both the Donnelly family and the Padilla family had been opposed to the romance of their children from the beginning. But Patrick and Esperanza had married anyway in 1916, just before eighteen year old Patrick joined up to fight in the Great War. When he returned in 1919, he returned to his wife and a two year old son, Patrick, Jr.  
  
Esperanza and Patrick moved to New York City, where Patrick managed to get a small business going. Elena and Isabella were born in 1922 and their younger brother, Tony, had been born three years later. It was after Tony's birth that the girls' mother had died, leaving a grief stricken Patrick to care for four young children. He never remarried, concentrating instead on making his business a success for the sake of his children. Chris didn't think that Mr. Donnelly had ever said 'no' to anything his children asked of him. Yet Elena and Isabella were not spoiled at all. They were both very friendly and not at all condescending.  
  
The beauty of the twins also fascinated Chris. For their two heritages had made a most unusual combination as far as looks went. Their darker complexions and jet-black hair had obviously come from their mother. But the twins had inherited their father's eyes and their sapphire orbs contrasted splendidly with their darker features.  
  
They were identical. The only way to tell them apart physically was the fact that Elena wore her hair long while Isabella's hair was cropped short. Underneath their appearance, however, the similarities stopped. Elena was quiet, introspective, and rather inclined to be shy. Isabella loved being the center of attention and lived for going 'out on the town' with her chums, which usually meant a movie or a play. While Elena was studying to be a doctor, Isabella majored in both drama and music. She made no secret of the fact that, someday, she would be an actress, preferably starring in a Broadway musical.  
  
The differences between the two sisters were never more apparent than when Chris and Lorelei arrived at their room. It was Isabella who answered their knock. Her eyes lit up immediately and she ushered them in, gushing over their outfits as they took off their coats and telling them all about what had happened in her drama class that morning. The girls didn't get a chance to even greet Elena until they were already seated on the edge of Isabella's bed. Elena, in great contrast to her sister, sat quietly at the window, watching the snow fall to the ground. She gave both Chris and Lorelei a smile before turning her attention back to the wintry scene.  
  
"That Isaac Kelvin thought he'd be fresh today and steal a kiss from me today during our skit," Isabella was saying with righteous indignation. Lorelei arched an eyebrow.  
  
"But I thought you liked Isaac Kelvin," she said, somewhat confused.  
  
"Oh, I do like Isaac. At least, I did. Until today. Didn't you know, Lorelei, that Isaac has been going with Elizabeth Gordon since the middle of last term? Well, I did. And I am not going to be kissed by some boy who thinks it's safe just because his girl isn't there. The idea!"  
  
"But perhaps he was merely following the scene, Isabella," Chris pointed out. "What scene were you doing? Was it from a play?"  
  
"It was a scene from 'Romeo and Juliet'. He was Romeo and I was Juliet."  
  
"And that doesn't warrant a kiss?" Elena inquired, finally joining the conversation. Her attention, however, was still focused on the falling snow.  
  
"He was supposed to be dead. Dead men don't kiss girls."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Apparently, there was no defense for Isaac's actions that morning, and the girls moved onto other topics. Inevitably, the war came up. Isabella's and Elena's older brother, Patrick Jr., had recently enlisted in the U.S. Army and Elena's fiancé was an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. So all four girls had brothers in the service and both Elena and Chris had sweethearts in the service.  
  
"Has Pat been shipped overseas, yet?"  
  
"No," Isabella replied, biting into a chocolate. "But he keeps saying in his letters that it will be 'anyday now'. Personally, I'm hoping that 'anyday' never comes."  
  
Lorelei and Chris nodded in understanding.  
  
"Daniel is going soon," Elena said suddenly. Now Chris understood why she had been even quieter than usual today. Elena continued.  
  
"He said they would be underway by this morning. I know he wasn't supposed to tell me that, but Daniel never could keep anything from me. I wish he had been able to keep that secret, though. I'd rather be able to imagine that he was safe and sound in an American har..."  
  
She trailed off as she remembered that not even American harbors were safe anymore. Even weeks later, it still seemed impossible to most people that the attack on Pearl Harbor had even happened. It all seemed like a nightmare.  
  
Silence reigned in the room for a while. But it was broken by a knock on the door. With a puzzled expression, Isabella went to answer it. And in swept Anna Winslow.  
  
"Hello, Elena. Hello, Lorelei. Hello, Christine."  
  
"Hello, Anna," Chris replied, a smile plastered on her face. She hated being called by her full name. Only Will was allowed to call her that. And when Anna said it, she managed to convey that 'Christine' was probably the silliest name on the planet.  
  
The other girls greeted Anna with a bit more warmth, though not much. It was nearly impossible to be very friendly to Anna. There was just something about her that said, 'Do Not Touch'. Chris had taken to calling her 'The Ice Queen' in her mind.  
  
She certainly looked like an Ice Queen. Anna was tall, taller than Chris, and slender with pale blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Her complexion was a flawless ivory and she just looked as if she would be cold to the touch. Her beauty was undeniable, but few boys had the courage to ask Anna for the pleasure of her company.  
  
Anna was followed by Natalie, her roommate. Chris couldn't understand how the two of them could live together for any length of time. They were complete opposites in every way. Natalie was short, with a well-rounded figure, dark brown hair, and equally dark brown eyes. She was one of those people who seem to possess the enviable gift of bringing laughter to whoever is with them. No one could be sad for long when Natalie was around.  
  
"Hello, girls!" she exclaimed. "Anna and I arrived at the lecture hall this afternoon and found that our class had been cancelled, so we came here. I hope you don't mind."  
  
"Mind? Darling, why should we mind? Things were just beginning to turn a little gloomy around here. And we haven't seen you in two days! Surely you must have some new stories for us."  
  
Natalie was an aspiring authoress and often jotted down little short stories when she woke in the wee hours of the morning. Though sweet in temperament, Natalie had a biting wit and she used it with a vengeance in her stories. Her eyes lit up when Isabella mentioned them and she pulled a bit of paper out of her pocket.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I wrote this just last night. It isn't much, really, and I'm not sure it makes one whit of sense, but if you'd like to hear it, I'd be more than happy to read it to you."  
  
With encouragement from all the girls, save Anna, who was studying her fingernails, Natalie began to read. Chris noticed that, during the story, Isabella kept casting anxious glances towards her twin. Elena remained in her window seat, listening to Natalie. She smiled several times and even laughed once. But even Chris could see that her mind was far away. Elena's eyes were sad and Isabella seemed very concerned indeed.  
  
********************************  
  
It was two hours later when Lorelei and Chris finally left the Donnelly twins' room. First of all, they felt it was safe to return to their own home, and second of all, Lorelei had sensed that Chris had taken about as much of Anna as she could handle for one day. She was right on the money, too. As soon as both girls were back on the street, Chris started her rant.  
  
"Lorelei, are you absolutely certain that you're not just friends with that creature simply because she's Natalie's roommate?"  
  
"Well, Natalie seems to get along with her well."  
  
"Oh, Lorelei. I don't think Natalie is capable of disliking anyone. And I didn't think I was capable of disliking someone as much as I dislike Anna. I just wish she didn't have that name. It's too close to my grandmother's."  
  
"Chris, I think you're blowing this out of proportion just a bit."  
  
"I suppose I might be," Chris said, waving her hand dismissively, "but I can't help it. It's frustrating to be nice to someone who absolutely WILL NOT be nice to you."  
  
"You've managed with the Pyes," Lorelei pointed out.  
  
"Yes, but they're Pyes. They're supposed to act that way. Anna has no such excuse."  
  
Lorelei looked at her friend as if she had gone mad. What a strange statement to make!  
  
"I just wish I knew why she didn't like me. I never did anything to her, but she seems to be intent on humiliating me every chance she gets. And it's little things that no one else ever notices. Like the way she says my name or how she always says 'How quaint,' whenever I talk about the Island. Just because she comes from Vancouver, too. Vancouver isn't any better than the Island."  
  
"Of course it isn't," Lorelei agreed. "But thank you for being so civil to her, Chris. I know it's difficult for you. I truly appreciate it."  
  
"Well, it's a small price to pay if I'm to be rewarded with such chums as Elena and Isabella."  
  
Lorelei smiled her agreement. The twins' friendship was very important to her. They had been the first people she met upon arriving at McGill and the three of them had bonded very quickly.  
  
"Lorelei, did you notice how strangely Elena acted today?"  
  
Yes, Lorelei had noticed.  
  
"I suppose it's because of Daniel leaving today. He really shouldn't have written her about that. What strange beings we are, Lorelei! Half the time, we want to know where our men are and the other half we would give anything to NOT know. No wonder the male race despairs of us sometimes."  
  
"Elena loves Daniel very much. They've known each other their whole lives. He proposed to her just a year ago, after he left the naval academy. Strange, isn't it? Elena's life mirrors your own in so many ways."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Well, you're both in love with your brothers' best friends. You were both engaged at a young age. And you're both ambitious."  
  
"I'm not ambitious, Lorelei! Don't bestow that quality upon me. I simply don't know what to do with myself anymore. For heaven's sake, I haven't even declared a major, yet."  
  
"So declare one."  
  
"I can't just 'declare one' as you put it. It's much more complicated than that. What if I declare a major and then decide not to follow through and I have to switch majors after two years of college? Then I would've wasted my parents' money and my time."  
  
"That won't happen. You've never *not* followed through with something, Chris. Besides, I think you'd make an excellent writer."  
  
Chris's jaw dropped.  
  
"Who said anything about writing?" she spluttered.  
  
"Oh, come on, Chris. I've heard you talking to Natalie, asking her about her stories. You've always had a talent for composition."  
  
"That doesn't mean I'd be a good writer,"  
  
"No. But I see no reason why you shouldn't explore the idea a little further."  
  
Chris opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a shout.  
  
"Lorelei! Chris! Get in this house! What are you doing, standing out there in the snow chatting? Come inside where it's warm."  
  
It was then that the girls realized they had been standing in front of their home, talking, for nearly five minutes. Laughing at their predicament, they hurried into the warm house, where Sara Harding filled them with hot tea and a small tongue-lashing about 'catching their deaths' out in the snow. Apparently, Janet King had been more of an influence than even she realized.  
  
There was no more talk that night of 'declaring a major', for Chris had received letters from both Walter and Will. Lorelei, also, received a letter from her brother. So after supper, the girls went to their respective rooms and read their epistles.  
  
As Chris finished her letter from Will, which she had saved for last, she heaved a sigh of relief. Letters meant that, for the time-being, her loved ones were safe. She replied to Will's letter first and surprised herself with a six page result. Her letters to Will were often long, but this one was the longest. When she reached the end, she started to sign with her usual declaration of love. But something changed her mind and, instead, she wrote.  
  
'All My Love,  
  
Christine Anne Ford, Authoress'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
A/N: So.....you like? Do you think this career path is good? Let me know. I love reviews. Reviews, reviews, reviews. 


	36. Surprises for a Spring Dance

A/N: Okay. Did everyone enjoy the finale of Friends? Good. Now, on with the story.  
  
Disclaimer: Do I have to do this again?  
  
SHOUT-OUTS:  
  
Miri: Why, thank you for the compliment. Thank you very much. I've actually been toying with the idea for several months now. I'm a huge fan of Christian romance novels. My favorites are the 'House of Winslow' series by Gilbert Morris, the 'Dr. Cheney Duvall, MD' series by Gilbert Morris and Lynn Morris, and anything written by Janette Oke. She's just wonderful.  
  
Just I: Congratulations!!! That is so wonderful! I'm very happy for you! Do you have a date set, or is this just a step towards the wedding? I was engaged for a year before we set the date, then it was another year before we got married. And we dated for three years before we got engaged! Sometimes I wonder if we rushed into things. (Just kidding).  
  
Ruby: Yes, I have a Cathy. But you haven't met her, yet. Don't worry. You'll meet her soon enough. I actually tried to spell her name with a 'K' (I prefer the K), but she simply wasn't having it. So 'Cathy with a C' she remained. I thought it would be interesting to have Chris be a writer. Partly because Anne had tried her hand at it once and partly because Chris's paternal grandfather (Owen Ford) is a writer. I'm glad you approve, but I haven't decided what 'type' of writer she will be, yet. And you want to be my beta-reader if I write a novel? That's so nice of you, and very flattering. Thank you. And I think you would be an excellent novelist. Much better than I would.  
  
Gufa: Missed you! And, actually, I sing. I play a little piano, but haven't had a lesson since I was ten. Mostly, I play by ear. I had to have Chris hate three o'clock in the morning. It wouldn't be proper if she didn't hate it. I realize I was coming from an American point of view, but I honestly couldn't think of it as World War II until my own country was involved. I don't know why. I don't think my country is any better than Canada or Great Britain (the jury is still out on France. Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm just kidding.) I know Sara was supposed to be a 'world-famous actress', but I had to mix a little of the book with the show in this case, I'm afraid. Sara had to be home to take care of and give advice to Chris and Lorelei. And even when you're correcting me, I miss you. And I share your opinion on writers. We'll be covering that soon, actually.  
  
Strawberry Lip Gloss: Your review came at a perfect time. I thought the finale of Friends was NEXT WEEK! I almost missed it! Luckily, though, I was able to get my mom to record it for me and I got to watch it Friday night. You have no idea how hard it was, dodging all the buzz about the finale at work and on the internet. And I'll be posting snippets from Will's letters, at least. Still haven't decided about Walter.  
  
Stella Maynard: Thank you, my friend. And the twins are very fun, as you will find out when you get to know them better. Particularly Isabella. I hope you did well on your exam. I wouldn't want to be responsible for you getting a bad grade or anything.  
  
Love Books: Hate is a strong word, my friend. But I'm not too fond of her, either. And I don't think I'll be reforming her. But I'm not sure. The twins will be tons of fun, I promise. Writing will be her major but, as I said before, I haven't specified what _type_ of writing.  
  
Steph: I agree with you about the harder class. Except when it comes to math. Algebra is for me what geometry was for Anne. I HATE Algebra. And I'm so glad someone can think about that line in the context of the song. I love that song.  
  
Stallygal: Sorry it took so long! It's been crazy around here.  
  
An-Cat-Gaelige: 'Admirably'? Author blushes Thank you very much. I'm so glad you're enjoying it. And don't worry. It will be longer. Oh, yes. Much longer.  
  
On-Fire-for-Christ: I know, I know. And I'm so sorry. But the well ran dry on this story for a little while. Hopefully, things are better now. And thank you so much for your well-wishes on my anniversary! You remembered!  
  
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''April 28, 1942  
  
"I wonder if Elena and I have the same number of hairs on our head."  
  
This thought was spoken aloud as the girls, meaning Elena, Isabella, Chris, Lorelei, Natalie, and Cathy, milled around in Lorelei's bedroom, trying to get ready for the Spring Dance that night. Most of the girls smiled at Isabella's statement, but Elena rolled her eyes.  
  
"That's the strangest thing I've ever heard you say, Isabella," Elena remarked as she put the finishing touches on her twin sister's hair.  
  
"I don't see what's so strange about it. We're twins, aren't we? And we're identical, aren't we? Therefore, the number of hairs on our head should be the same."  
  
Chris came up behind the sisters, looking in the vanity mirror and trying to put some cosmetics on while talking at the same time.  
  
"I think you've been spending too much time in Philosophy class, Isabella. You're thinking too much."  
  
Isabella shot a mock glare at Chris's reflection.  
  
"Are you saying that I never _used_ to think?"  
  
Chris smiled at Isabella's reflection.  
  
"No, _I_ never said that. _You_ did."  
  
Isabella stuck her tongue out, Chris laughed, and Elena shook her head.  
  
"You're both insane. You would think that two young women could conduct themselves with a little bit more decorum."  
  
Isabella put a hand to her heart and feigned shock.  
  
"Oh, gracious me! What a big word, Elena! Luckily for me, I am thinking _too much _these days and so I am able to understand it. Though I certainly don't intend to conduct myself with it. That's too boring."  
  
This drew laughter from the rest of the group. Elena merely smiled. She really wasn't much for laughter these days. Privately, Chris heartily agreed with her friend's mood.  
  
"How is the writing coming along, Chris?" Cathy inquired. All the girls, by now, knew that Chris had finally decided on a major. Only Lorelei and Elena knew how much trouble Chris was having with it, though.  
  
Chris frowned, wondering how she should answer. On one hand, Cathy was a very sweet girl who would never intentionally hurt anyone's feelings. On the other hand, Cathy shared a room with Yvette and never seemed to be able to keep a secret from her roommate. Yvette was best friends with Anna, who had become the bane of Chris's college life, and if Anna found out about Chris's troubles then Chris would never hear the end of it.  
  
"It's going well enough," Chris finally replied. Both Elena and Lorelei glanced at her, then at each other. But neither said a word.  
  
Cathy was no fool, however. She knew there was more to it than that. Although somewhat hurt that Chris didn't seem to want to confide in her, she let the moment pass. Elena took the chance to change the subject.  
  
"There, Isabella. Your hair is done. And it looks lovely."  
  
When didn't Isabella look lovely? Chris couldn't recall a time in the past four months that Isabella had looked less than stunning.  
  
"Thank you very much, sister dear. Now, you sit down and I'll do your hair for you."  
  
"Oh, no you don't. It's bad enough you managed to talk me into going to this dance. But you will not touch my hair, Isabella. I'll come out looking like Marlene Dietrich or something."  
  
"Not possible. Your hair is too dark," Isabella replied cheekily. Elena ignored her.  
  
"Nevertheless, I think I would rather have Chris do my hair. If you don't mind, Chris."  
  
"No, I don't mind at all. If you can help me with this last button."  
  
After the button was fastened, Chris set to work on Elena's hair and let her mind wander a little to the dance.  
  
It was strange, really, the thought of attending a dance without Will. Except for the occasional dance at weddings, Chris hadn't danced since her fiancé left. At first, she had felt rather uncomfortable about the situation, but had finally formed an alliance with Elena. The two girls had decided to go as each other's 'dates' and had even taken the joke so far as to buy corsages for each other. It was a source of great amusement for the small circle of friends.  
  
The rest of the girls, strangely enough, all had escorts. This was strange only because there was such a shortage of young men. Most of them couldn't join for one reason or another, sports injuries and the like. Cathy was going with a boy who was a few months younger than her and, therefore, not of age to join up, yet.  
  
Lorelei had accepted the invitation of Peter Jamison, a pleasant young man of twenty years. He had actually served in the Air Force for a year until contracting a very serious case of pneumonia. The Air Force sent him home and the doctors said he would probably never fully recover. His lungs were too weak. Due to his service and the length of his recovery, he had started college at the same time Lorelei had. In fact, Peter Jamison was the young man Lorelei had 'stolen' from young Janet.  
  
Chris wasn't sure what to think of all this. She liked Peter very much. No one could help liking Peter. But it was obvious that he felt more for Lorelei than simple friendship. Chris had no doubt what Lorelei felt for Peter. But what if that changed someday? What if Lorelei fell in love with him? Truly, Peter was everything Lorelei had ever dreamed of when they were little girls, discussing their future husbands. He was funny, handsome, intelligent. But so was Walter! Oh, why couldn't Lorelei fall in love with Walter? Why did she have to marry Peter?  
  
Chris was so caught up in blowing things out of proportion that she didn't hear Elena until the older girl had to raise her voice.  
  
"Chris!"  
  
Startled out of her fantastical thoughts, Chris met Elena's eyes in the mirror.  
  
"Hmmm? What?"  
  
"What are you thinking of? You've been yanking on my hair for the last five minutes. And in the same spot."  
  
"Oh, Elena! I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you at all?"  
  
"No, I just wondered what you were thinking about."  
  
Chris saw that Lorelei was looking at her suspiciously. Honestly, there were times Chris could just curse the bond she and Lorelei shared. It really was inconvenient when she was thinking of something that she didn't want Lorelei to know about. For instance, right now she felt like Lorelei KNEW that she had been thinking of Peter Jamison and his imminent marriage to her best friend. Chris shook her head a little. There she went, blowing things out of proportion again.  
  
"I was thinking of the lecture Dr. Moody gave two days ago," she lied unconvincingly. In truth, the aforementioned lecture had held Chris spellbound. Though Dr. Moody was not the nicest of people, he was one of the most wonderful teachers Chris had ever had.  
  
Despite Dr. Moody's teaching prowess, none of the girls believed Chris for a second. But, being rather intelligent, none of them said a word. Chris finished Elena's hair without further incident and then put the finishing touches on her own. As she did so, she couldn't help but realize that, without meaning to, she had fixed her hair the way Will always liked. The sides of her hair were pulled up and fastened in the back with her pearl hair clip, with a few curls escaping around her ears. She pinched her cheeks a little, presumably to give them more color, but really to bring herself out of reminiscing. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on the past tonight. Tonight, she was supposed to have fun.  
  
As she was assuring Natalie that the younger girl did indeed look lovely in her lavender dress, there was a knock on the door. Lorelei opened it and Sara Harding swept in.  
  
"Well, don't all you girls look beautiful? Those boys will be falling all over themselves to dance with you. Natalie, dear, you look like a dream in that color. And Cathy! Have you lost weight, darling? You look simply stunning in that gown."  
  
Chris bit back a smile as she secured Will's necklace around her throat. Lorelei's aunt amazed her. She had managed to allay the fears of the two most insecure girls in the room. Chris had just been trying to reassure Natalie about that color. And Cathy, whom Chris thought had a darling figure, was always self-conscious about her weight. Both girls preened a little over Sara's compliments.  
  
"Chris, there's a visitor for you downstairs."  
  
"Who is it?" Chris inquired, rather perplexed. Sara merely gave a light shrug of her shoulders.  
  
"He wouldn't say. I believe he has a message for you, though."  
  
Chris looked over at Lorelei, who shrugged her shoulders as well.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll go see what it is, then. Probably just a telegram from Alex. He said he was going to send me one."  
  
She left the room and Lorelei looked at her aunt.  
  
"What are you hiding, Aunt Sara?"  
  
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about, Lorelei. By the way, why would Alex send a telegram? Doesn't he usually write?"  
  
Lorelei smiled as she dabbed a bit of scent in her hair.  
  
"He's bored with writing letters. You just have to know Alex, Aunt Sara."  
  
"Well, I'm looking forward to that."  
  
Meanwhile, Chris was headed towards the staircase. She wondered who the visitor could be. Not for a second did she believe that it was a telegram from Alex. Perhaps it was Alex himself? He had mentioned getting some leave and he knew about the dance. It would be just like Alex to show up unannounced, just to surprise her. This happy thought spurred Chris on and she began to walk a little faster.  
  
When she reached the top of the staircase, however, there was no one in the entry hall below. Puzzled, she began to make her way down the steps. Halfway down, she heard a child's laughter coming from the 'informal' parlor. It was Blair Harding's laugh. Blair was the baby of the family, a precocious seven year old with her father's golden hair and brown eyes. She adored both Chris and Lorelei and followed both girls around whenever opportunity arose.  
  
Soon after Blair's laugh resounded through the first floor, another laugh followed. This one was deeper, definitely belonging to a man. Mr. Harding? No, he was away visiting a client. The laugh sounded again and Chris's heart stopped. She knew that laugh. Practically flying down the rest of the steps, she came to an abrupt halt in the doorway of the parlor.  
  
Blair was there, as well as her sister Janet, but Chris stayed focused on the other person in the room. A tall young man, in the dress uniform of an Army corporal. He had been sitting, but quickly rose to his feet when he saw Chris. Chris couldn't move. In point of fact, she wasn't sure she could breathe. He held his hat in his hands, fiddling with it nervously as he began to speak.  
  
"I would've written, but I wanted to surprise you. I..."  
  
But he didn't get any further than that. It's hard to talk when one is being kissed. Chris clung to him as if her life depended on it. She didn't care that Janet and Blair were in the room. Paid no attention to Blair's statement of, 'Ewww!'. All she could think of, all she cared about, was the person she held in her arms.  
  
"Will!!"  
  
Lorelei's voice _did_ snap Chris out of her self-created, two-person universe. She stepped to the side as Lorelei launched herself into her brother's arms. The other girls soon appeared in the doorway, eager to meet the young man they'd heard so much about.  
  
"Oh, Will! Why didn't you write? Or phone? We could've given you a proper greeting!" Lorelei admonished her older brother.  
  
"Looks like he's been greeted well enough," Isabella whispered to Elena, who stifled a laugh. Will's lips were not exactly their natural color at the moment. Chris heard Isabella's comment and, mortified, blushed to the very roots of her hair. Will also heard and grinned good-naturedly as he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped off the offending lipstick.  
  
Chris allowed Lorelei the chance to introduce Will to everyone. After all, hadn't she gotten to greet him first? But she stayed right next to him throughout the introductions and, in spite of shaking hands and keeping one arm around his sister, Will still managed to touch Chris every now and then. Whether it was to reassure her of his love or to reassure both of them that all this was real, Chris didn't know. In point of fact, she didn't really care.  
  
The front doorbell ringing alerted everyone to the fact that their escorts were here. It was at that moment that Chris realized she had a problem.  
  
"Oh, Elena! Elena, I'm sorry!"  
  
Elena smiled at her and Will looked confused.  
  
"Sorry for what, dearest? Don't be silly. Will is here and the two of you should go to this dance together. I didn't really want to go, anyway. I was just going to keep you company. Besides, I have a paper due in History next week. I really should be working on that."  
  
"Not go? What's this I hear about not going?" demanded Isabella, who had retrieved her date from the crowd of young men and was now dragging him into the parlor. He didn't look like he minded at all, though.  
  
"It's very simple, Isabella. My escort has found a different, and may I say much better-looking, date for the dance. Really, Isabella. I don't mind at all."  
  
Isabella pursed her lips and her slender eyebrows came down in a perfect 'V' shape. 'Uh-oh,' thought Chris. That was the Look. The look Isabella always got when she refused to give in.  
  
"You are not going back to the dorm and stay in that stuffy little room all night by yourself. You are coming to the dance with us and you're going to have a wonderful time."  
  
Elena shook her head.  
  
"No, Isabella. You go and have fun. I meant what I said before. I never really wanted to go anyway."  
  
Isabella opened her mouth to say something else, but then seemed to abruptly change her mind. She smoothed her features into a placid expression.  
  
"Very well. If you're not going, then neither am I."  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"I won't go without you, Elena, and that is all I have to say on the matter."  
  
Chris arched an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Lorelei, who had come in to introduce Peter to Will. She had never seen Isabella use this particular tactic with Elena before. Looking back over at Elena, she was surprised to see that it seemed to be working. Apparently, Isabella didn't use this tactic often.  
  
Isabella's date, on the other hand, appeared to be in distress. It had taken him months to work up the courage to ask the beautiful Isabella Donnelly for a date. He had adored her since the first day of the fall term, practically worshipping her from afar. Now, he was finally getting the chance to be with her and she was refusing to go!  
  
"Are-are you quite sure you won't go without her, Isabella?" he inquired. Isabella looked up at him from her seat on the sofa, her eyes snapping. The poor boy backed up a pace and Will hid a laugh behind a cough.  
  
"Of course I'm sure, Andrew. What sort of ridiculous question is that? And do stop trembling so. I've no intention of biting you."  
  
Chris wasn't so sure about that, but she was sure that she'd never seen Isabella so agitated before. She looked over at Elena and caught the older twin's eye, willing the girl to say she'd go. Chris felt rather sorry for Andrew. He was a nice young man and, at the moment, quite undeserving of the business end of Isabella's temper. Chris knew for a fact that, when she calmed down, Isabella would feel horrible for snapping at him.  
  
Apparently, Elena felt the same way about it. Andrew was one of her closest friends and she knew how he felt about her sister. Well, if Isabella was going to be this way about it, then there was only one thing to do.  
  
"Okay. I'll go to the dance. But I won't have any fun."  
  
"That's all I ask," Isabella replied, smiling and kissing her sister on the cheek. "Now then, Andrew, you have two dates instead of one. And both equally good-looking. Well, girls? Shall we be off then?"  
  
She led the group out the front door, her arm tucked snugly through Andrew's. He was looking as though being snapped at wasn't such a bad thing after all. Lorelei and Peter, then Will and Chris, brought up the rear.  
  
"You have some very interesting friends, Christine," Will whispered softly, threading his arm around Chris's waist as they walked. A peculiar shiver ran through her when he spoke her name. She looked up at him, smiling.  
  
"You have no idea, William."  
  
''''''''''''''''''At the Dance  
  
"Well, I'm glad to see Elena is sticking to her promise of not having any fun," Will remarked as he and Chris passed Elena. She was dancing her second dance with Andrew. As of yet, she had not sat out one dance, except for the few slow ones that had been played so far. Her eyes sparkled and she had been laughing nearly all night.  
  
"That's the reason Isabella wanted her to come. She gets wrapped up in thinking about her fiancé too often. They love each other very much and Elena just hasn't learned how to deal with him being gone."  
  
"I see. Have you? Learned how to deal with me being gone?"  
  
Chris ducked her head, realizing that he had cornered her.  
  
"Christine?"  
  
"No. No, I could never learn to be without you, Will. I just hide it better than Elena does."  
  
They danced in silence for a while until Will finally made a suggestion.  
  
"It's rather hot in here, Chris. This stuffy old uniform of mine isn't helping matters. Is there somewhere we can go? Outside, perhaps?"  
  
"Of course. Just follow me."  
  
She led him out of the dance hall and onto a veranda surrounded by gardens. A few other couples milled about, but not many. The night was still young and dancing seemed to be the order of the evening so far.  
  
"This place is beautiful," Will remarked. "Does it belong to the college?"  
  
"Yes. It used to be a dorm, but they renovated it for dances and other gatherings."  
  
Silence settled over them. Will moved closer to Chris and wrapped an arm around her waist in a comforting manner. She leaned her head up against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Chris just knew that, any moment now, she would wake up from this dream. But at least she could enjoy it while it lasted.  
  
"Chris?" Will finally said, somewhat hesitantly.  
  
"Mmmm?" she responded, not even opening her eyes.  
  
"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm here? I mean, instead of in Europe."  
  
"No," she replied, her eyes still closed.  
  
"No?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because if I ask you that, it will lead inevitably to me either waking up and realizing this has all been a dream or to you informing me that you'll be leaving again soon. I don't care for either of those to take place."  
  
"Well neither do I. But I would like to talk to you, Chris. I can assure you this isn't a dream. But we don't have as much time as I'd like."  
  
Now Chris opened her eyes. She raised her head and looked up at Will. Goodness, had he grown more since she last saw him? How strange. Even stranger that she would notice it at such a time as this.  
  
"I see," she heard herself say. "How much time do we have?"  
  
"To tell you that, Chris, I have to tell you everything from the beginning. Are we allowed to walk down into the gardens?"  
  
Chris nodded her head. Will took her hand in his and led her down the stone paths of the gardens. As they walked, he began to tell her what had brought him back to Canada.  
  
"My CO has wanted to transfer me back home for some time now. I've fought him every step of the way on it, but he finally gave the order."  
  
"Why did he want you back in Canada? And why did you fight him on it?"  
  
Will smiled a little.  
  
"Believe me, Chris. It wasn't because I didn't want to be with you. There isn't a moment I haven't thought of you. Truly, there isn't. But I joined to fight for my country, and he wanted to send me home."  
  
"Did he have something against you?"  
  
"No. The opposite, in fact. He said I showed great promise, militarily speaking. Chris, he sent me back to Canada so I could prepare for my next assignment. I, along with several other Canadian soldiers, will be joining up with some American soldiers. Then we'll be headed elsewhere."  
  
"Where were you in the first place? Specifically."  
  
"No. I can't tell you where we were, Chris. I shouldn't even be telling you all of this. But I had to explain to you why I have to leave in the morning."  
  
Chris stopped in her tracks and stared at Will with wide eyes.  
  
"In the morning? You have to leave so soon?"  
  
Her voice was rather shaky. Why so soon? Even Walter had been able to stay for a few days!  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid so. I'm supposed to be in Montana by tomorrow afternoon. I've been in Helena at Fort William Henry Harrison for the past month, actually. Training. They gave us leave and all I could think of was getting to you. I got special permission to come back to Canada on this leave, Chris. I've dreamed of you every night, envisioned you during the day. Surely you understand how much I've missed you."  
  
He cupped her chin in his hand and raised her face until he was looking directly into her eyes. It hurt him to see that they were brimming with tears, but he wasn't surprised to see it. He felt like crying himself, actually.  
  
"Of course I understand, Will. I just wish I'd known how short a time we really have. Then I wouldn't have wasted it by going to this dance."  
  
Will gently wiped an escaped tear from Chris's cheek with his thumb.  
  
"I myself have never thought dancing a waste of time. Particularly if it means I get to hold the person I love more than anyone else in the world, the person I intend to spend the rest of my life with. When we're old and gray, Christine, we can sit in our rockers on the porch of our home in Avonlea and remember the night in Montreal when we danced under the stars. Of course, by then, we'll be too old to dance and the memory will be that much sweeter. Besides, I'm afraid it might be a long time before I have the opportunity to dance with you again."  
  
She smiled at him through her tears. He drew her closer to him as the music from the dance floated out across the gardens on a gentle spring breeze.  
  
"May I have this dance?" he whispered.  
  
Chris merely nodded in reply as he took one of her hands in his and began to move in time to the music that was playing. It was almost as if time stood still for both of them. It seemed that they danced for hours, when it was actually only a few minutes. The music ended and, even out in the garden, the announcement could be heard that the next dance was the last of the evening.  
  
As the band started to play once more, Chris stepped up closer to Will and laid her head on his shoulder as they danced. Halfway through the song, she was surprised to hear him begin to sing. Will really did have a wonderful voice, but it was rare that anyone could coax a song out of him. Tears formed in her eyes yet again as he softly sang to her.  
  
'_I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places  
That this heart of mine embraces  
All day through  
In that small cafe, the park across the way  
The children's carousel, the chestnut tree, the wishing well._  
  
_I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day  
In everything that's light and gay  
I'll always think of you that way  
I'll find you in the morning sun  
And when the night is new  
I'll be looking at the moon  
But I'll be seeing you.'_  
  
He stopped singing, although the music was still playing. They danced for a moment, not speaking at all for fear of breaking the enchantment that had seemed to wash over them. But eventually the music ended and the fragile spell ended along with it. They stopped dancing, but neither made a move to break apart. Eventually, however, Lorelei's voice drifted out to them from the veranda.  
  
"Chris! Chris, I'm sorry, but we have to go."  
  
"I don't want to go," Chris whispered to Will.  
  
"Neither do I. But we've done this before, haven't we? And you survived."  
  
"Barely," came the reply. Will smiled a little.  
  
"I think you're exaggerating just a little, my love. Christine, your strength has always amazed me. It's part of what made me fall in love with you in the first place. Of course, it didn't hurt that you have the most incredibly beautiful eyes I've ever seen."  
  
"Flattery will get you nowhere, William Pike," Chris said playfully. But the blush creeping across her cheeks contradicted that statement. Will felt some of his tension melt away when he saw her smile. He had been afraid that he wouldn't get to see that smile again before he left.  
  
"Oh, I don't know about that," he replied, grateful for the chance to banter a little. "After all, it got me you, didn't it? Because you are mine, you know. Just as I am yours."  
  
Chris wrapped her arms around Will even tighter and buried her head into his chest, determined not to cry. When she spoke, her voice was muffled by the fabric of his uniform and Will tried not to smile at the sound. Especially considering the words she was speaking.  
  
"Will, I love you so much. Every night, I look out at the stars and wonder if you're looking at the same star I am. I wonder if you're safe and if you're thinking of me, too."  
  
"Well, I can answer two of those questions without a second thought. I have looked up at the stars, when I have the opportunity. And I think of you with every beat of my heart, Christine. I miss all of you, of course. I miss Avonlea and the sunsets over the Lake of Shining Waters. I miss meeting you at Hester Gray's garden. I miss the walks Lorelei and I used to take along Lover's Lane. But most of all, Chris, I miss you. The way you can always make me laugh, the way you make me feel that I am the only man in the world for you. You're my life, Christine, and I hope and pray for the day when I can stand before God and announce to the world that you're mine and I'm yours."  
  
"Will, promise me you'll be safe."  
  
Will ducked his head a little.  
  
"You know I can't promise that, Chris. But I can promise that I will do my best to get back to you. Soon, Chris, all this will be over. And we can spend the rest of our lives together."  
  
Chris raised her face to Will's and was rewarded with a soft, lingering kiss. Once again, for a brief space in time, they were the only two people in the world. But reality came knocking all too soon.  
  
"Chris! Chris, where are you?"  
  
Will pulled away and glared in the direction of the voice.  
  
"You know, there are times when I wish you weren't such good friends with my sister," he scowled. In spite of her state of mind, Chris had to laugh. Will looked at her in surprise, but the laughter was contagious. Soon he began to laugh as well. Guided by the sounds, Lorelei and Peter soon appeared.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure what's so funny," Lorelei stated, "but I am sure that we're already late for curfew. I'm sorry, Chris. Believe me. I wish there was more time, too."  
  
Chris immediately felt guilty.  
  
"Lorelei, I'm so sorry. You've hardly gotten any time with Will at all."  
  
"It's okay, Chris. Really."  
  
"No, it isn't. But I know just how to fix it. You walk home with Will. I'll walk with Peter. That is, if Peter doesn't object."  
  
"No, I don't mind at all. Lorelei needs to be with her brother."  
  
'Must he always be so nice?' the irrational part of Chris's mind asked. But Chris ignored it and, though she didn't really want to walk back with Peter, she was happy to see that Will and Lorelei were getting some time together. Occasionally, Lorelei's laugh would float back to her and it made Chris feel much better about giving up a nice walk with her fiancée.  
  
The front door was another matter altogether. Before Chris could even stop her, Lorelei had thanked Peter for a lovely night, given Will a fierce, tearful hug along with some parting words that Chris wasn't able to hear, and had disappeared inside. Peter made a graceful exit and Chris found herself alone with Will.  
  
"This isn't a true goodbye, you know," he said. "I'll be by in the morning for that. So for now, let's just pretend that I'm taking you back to Green Gables after a tryst in Hester Gray's garden. Tomorrow, we'll go for a walk down Lover's Lane and have a picnic by the Dryad's Bubble."  
  
"But that won't happen," Chris replied, trying desperately to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, but it will," he assured her. "Hasn't it happened nearly every night in my dreams? I'm never truly separated from you, Chris. If you remember that, you'll find that things are much easier. For now, though, I think I'll say goodbye and let you get some sleep."  
  
"Sleep? How could I sleep after a night like tonight?" she exclaimed.  
  
"But you need your rest for that picnic," he persisted. He seemed so sincere that Chris had to smile. Standing on the step above him, she dropped a kiss on his forehead.  
  
"You're right, of course. I should get some rest for our day tomorrow."  
  
He smiled back, but his face suddenly grew serious. His eyes met hers with an expression that sent shivers all over her.  
  
"I love you, Christine."  
  
"And I love you, William."  
  
He kissed her then. A deep, passionate kiss that Chris would not forget anytime soon. When he released her, he gently ran a hand down her cheek.  
  
"I'll be back tomorrow," he said. Chris nodded and then watched as he turned and headed for the nearby hotel he had gotten a room in. Sara Harding had, of course, wanted him to stay with them, but he had refused, saying it would make it harder for him to leave again.  
  
Once he was out of sight, Chris turned and went inside herself. After shutting the door, she leaned up against it and brought her hand up to her cheek.  
  
"Tomorrow," she whispered to herself.  
  
''''''''''''''''''''''''''  
  
A/N: Now, wasn't that the sappiest thing you've ever read in your life. But I won't apologize for it. You can't make me. Sappy stuff is good for your blood pressure, I've been told. See? I'm doing something good for mankind. Anyway, please read and review! Thanks! 


	37. The First Last Hurrah

A/N: First off, a big thank you to every one! All of you have been so patient and understanding. These shout-outs up here are for the reviews on the last chapter. At the end of the chapter are some more shout-outs. These are in response to those of you who left reviews on my Author's Note Chapter. Thanks for your words of encouragement!

This chapter has a little bit of everything. A bit of a glimpse into the life of Gregory and Sara Harding, and quite a bit more about Cathy. Yay! You get to learn more about one of the McGill girls.

Disclaimer: No. I won't say it. You can't make me.

SHOUT-OUTS:

Love books: Yes, I'm alive. And I am sorry for such a long wait. I guess I just needed an extended vacation of sorts from this story. Hopefully, things will go smoother now.

Gufa: Well, I'm not a medical expert or anything. But that sure sounded good, didn't it? Real life is going okay. Except for the no money part. But I'm supposed to get a bonus next month and I'm going to try and use part of it for my car fund and the other part to put some sort of laptop on layaway. Yay! A portable computer! I'm glad Will's arrival surprised you. Originally, it was going to be Alex, but Will insisted on showing up. I guess he missed Chris. And you liked my Sara? But there wasn't enough of her, I gather. Well, fear not. She'll be in more chapters soon.

Strawberry Lip Gloss: Yeah, it was sappy. But I like sappy, too. Besides, even I was beginning to miss Will. And I'm the one who sent him away! Now, I wouldn't put him in danger, would I? Would I?

Ruby: I have been eating your stories up! I just can't get enough of them! My book is still playing out in my head. As I mentioned above, I'm going to attempt to get a laptop. Just something I can write on. That way, I might even be able to write if I'm traveling somewhere! Yay! Writing, writing, writing. The only thing I like more than that is reading.

Steph: Oh, thank you! The interaction between the girls was what I worried about the most. I was so afraid it would come across as stupid. And my characters are likeable? Good. They're supposed to be likeable, you know. I'm glad you care about them.

Stella Maynard: I had quite a bit of fun writing about Chris and her fear of Lorelei marrying Peter. Nothing is worse than worrying about your best friend's boyfriend. Especially when you're that age. And we're not done with Chris's fears on that subject, either. Not by a longshot. You know, I was telling Ruby Gillis the other day that I was considering killing Will off! And all because his last name was giving me fits. I must have been having a Jonah day. Fear not, my friend. He is in no immediate danger. I will assure you of that much.

MarieChristine81: Thanks for reviewing! Your compliments really do take my breath away. Really! You're going to give me a huge ego if you keep giving me reviews like that. Now you know I can't give away the endings of all the romances. That wouldn't be fair. Obviously, Eric is, indeed, a snake. I do have a few tricks up my sleeve, although not necessarily for him. And we're not done in the romance department either. In fact, there's a new one on the horizon!

Beck: No, not abandoned. Just progressively harder to write. I am trying, though. I think I hit a mountain, but I believe I'm at the peak and going down the other side now. I hope. And thank you for paying my characters such a wonderful compliment.

Silver Stockings: Oh, it's never too late to review! Thank you! And thank you for the lovely compliments, too. It is difficult to do the research. It's also frustrating and overwhelming at times. Aha! You're not the first one to call me on Chris's name, my friend. Poor Chris. Truth of the matter? Loved that name since I saw 'Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway when I was thirteen. Never thought it was fair of LMM to give such a beautiful name to Anne's archrival. And, when I was writing the first chapter, the name 'Chris' just came tumbling out. I posted it before I could think and the rest, as they say, is history. Que sera, sera. But I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Miru: No, I haven't forgotten about Tom. I'd say he'll be back in about five or six chapters maybe. I don't think anyone will be expecting the storyline I'm gonna give him, though. (grins evilly)

Marzoog: Of course sappiness is a good thing. And LIFE cereal does things to me, too.

Emma: I'm sorry if I made you cry. Don't get too far ahead of me, now. It isn't Operation Overlord. You'll find out soon enough. Actually, it will probably be at the end of the war. But you will find out, I promise.

Rebecca: I'm glad you like the story. After re-reading the chapter you reviewed, I did see where you were coming from. Thanks for being so constructive. I love that constructive criticism. Really, guys, I do. Just ask Gufa! Hope you keep reading and reviewing, Rebecca!

Lauri: Yes, I have thought about it. Actually, I have a storyline already, but I'm not too sure it's going to be a Christian romance novel anymore. More of a Christian novel. Not so much romance. I don't know. I'm so confused! I think the sequel to it might be a romance, though. Wow! I'm kind of getting ahead of myself, aren't I? Yeah, I am. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

''''''''''''''''''May 25, 1942

The days after Will's second departure found Chris rather mopey. She wasn't interested in doing anything or going anywhere, preferring instead to stay in her room and read. The copy of 'Gone With the Wind' that Will had given her for Christmas of 1940 was already beginning to look worn and well-used. Chris had read it over and over, maintaining that it was the best book she had ever read. This was partly true, but she also read it so much because the book itself made her feel closer to Will. It had been his last Christmas gift to her.

Lorelei knew all too well how Chris felt. She was also upset over having to say goodbye to her brother again. But, as the days passed, she began to notice that Chris simply didn't seem to be able to shake her morose moods. This was completely unlike her friend and Lorelei began to search for ways to snap Chris out of her melancholy.

She started slowly enough, trying to coax Chris into running downtown for a soda with the girls or going for a walk in the nearby park. When she failed to get through to Chris on that level, Lorelei became a bit more desperate. She stooped to using underhanded tactics.

Underhanded tactics, in this case, involved the Donnelly twins. Particularly Elena. For it was in Elena that Chris had found her closest friend in the small circle of girls that Lorelei had introduced her to. And it was Elena that finally convinced Chris to go out on the town with them as a last hurrah before they all headed home.

They decided that Saturday the 25th would be the best day for this little get-together. The last day of school, strangely enough, fell on the following Tuesday. Cathy would be the first of the girls to depart and her train was leaving for Calgary on Thursday. Natalie would be returning to Edmonton on Friday. Lorelei, Chris, Elena, and Isabella were all leaving that Saturday. So it was their last chance for any fun time together.

All the girls met that morning and gathered in Sara Harding's front parlor. Gregory Harding, who was not above spying on unsuspecting young girls in his home, watched with amusement as Isabella, the self-appointed coordinator, stood in front of the group and wrote down suggestions for the day's activities.

"We're going to go see a movie today," was the first thing Isabella said. It was also the first thing she wrote down.

"What movie?" Natalie inquired.

"'Babes on Broadway'," Isabella replied. Natalie rolled her eyes. She wasn't a big fan of musicals. But she knew it would do no good to argue on this subject. There was only one other girl in the room who didn't care that much for musicals and that was Elena. But 'Babes on Broadway' starred Judy Garland and Elena, rather paradoxically, _did_ like Judy Garland. Besides, no one in the group had seen this movie, yet. It was brand new.

"What else?" asked Isabella as she finished writing 'Watch a movie' with a flourish.

"We could spend some time in the soda shop," Cathy offered. Isabella fixed her with a rather bored glance but Cathy, for once, defended herself.

"You know we're going to wind up there anyway, Isabella."

Chris hid a smile at this display of a backbone from meek little Cathy. Isabella looked slightly taken aback at first, but she finally smiled and wrote that down as well.

"'Soda shop'," she repeated, then looked back up at the group. No one said anything. Isabella pouted slightly in frustration. How were they going to have fun today if no one suggested anything? Elena read her twin's thoughts and spoke up.

"Isabella, why don't we just leave our firm plans at 'watch a movie' and let the rest of the day take us where it will? Let's not put any restrictions on the day, alright?"

Isabella pouted a bit more in an almost playful manner before silently agreeing to her sister's suggestion. Chris watched the whole exchange with a rather bemused look on her face, wondering when Elena and Isabella had switched personalities. Normally, Elena was the one who wanted order and organization. She could often be heard lecturing Isabella on the virtues of planning things out. Isabella was the one who liked to 'let the chips fall where they may'.

"Well," Lorelei said, rising from her seat. "Cousin Sara wants us to meet her in the kitchen before we go. She said she has a surprise for us, so I vote that we head in that direction before we go and terrorize the unsuspecting city of Montreal."

* * *

As it turned out, they didn't terrorize it at all. Not immediately, anyway. The city was fairly safe until the afternoon, thanks to one Mrs. Sara Harding. Relishing the chance to show off the cooking skills she had managed to learn under the tutelage of her Aunt Janet, Sara had packed a lovely picnic lunch for 'her girls'. Fried chicken, sandwiches, potato salad, even a cake!

Gregory, who had made for the kitchen as soon as the girls had mentioned that room, sniffed the air appreciatively as he passed by the two picnic baskets his wife and their cook were packing.

"Smells like you've outdone yourself this time, Mrs. Steele," he said.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but I didn't do anything. Mistress Harding did it all and it's a wonder she hasn't dropped from exhaustion. She'd cook all the time if I let her," Mrs. Steele finished with a sniff. She had been with the Hardings since little Janet was born and was fiercely protective of Sara. Sara merely laughed as she began to put the cake into the basket she was packing. Gregory's eyes widened when he saw it.

"You made the cake, too?" he asked incredulously. Sara frowned at him.

"Of course I did! You think I can't make cakes? I made you one for our first anniversary, remember?"

"Yes, but it wasn't quite so...so...round," he finished lamely. Mrs. Steele swallowed a laugh as Sara put on an affronted air.

"Well, my dear sir, if you will say things like that, you certainly won't be getting a cake like that anytime soon. At least not from me."

"Mrs. Steele will make one for me," Gregory argued, not concerned in the least over this threat. "Won't you, Mrs. Steele?"

He flashed Mrs. Steele his most charming grin, the very same grin that had won Sara Stanley's heart twenty years before. But it did not have the same effect on Cornelia Steele.

"Indeed I will not, sir. Not until you apologize to the mistress."

She left in a pretend huff, knowing perfectly well that Gregory Harding would have a cake on the table that night. But she wouldn't be the one to bake it. Cornelia Steele wasn't a psychic by any means, but she knew her employers inside and out. Gregory turned his charms back to his wife.

"You look just like a moonbeam in that dress, Sara."

His comment was rather ill-placed, considering the fact that Sara was wearing an old, faded blue dress that had a few stains on the skirt and even a tiny tear on one sleeve. It was the only dress she had that Mrs. Steele would let her wear into the kitchen, for fear she would ruin her other ones. Sara looked down at her dress, then back at her husband.

"You must want a cake rather badly, my love, to be complimenting me when I'm wearing rags," she said rather coquettishly as she made sure that everything was secure in the baskets.

Her husband didn't respond but, after a moment, Sara felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and she momentarily forgot about the basket when he began to kiss her neck softly.

"Royal gowns or rags?" he whispered in her ear. "One doesn't notice the difference when a queen is wearing them."

Obviously, cake was not the top thing on Gregory Harding's list. At least, not at the moment. But fate seemed to be against Gregory that morning. The very loud clearing of a throat, followed by stifled giggles, worked like an electrical shock on him. He was at least two feet away from his wife as soon as he heard it. Gregory was shy by nature, not prone to public displays of affection beyond a simple kiss.

"Don't you ever knock?" he inquired, half-teasingly. His gaze was directed at Lorelei, who wasn't at all inclined to take his discomfort seriously.

"On the kitchen door?" she replied, her wide eyes full of innocence. Gregory stared at her for a minute, then grinned, winked, and began to whistle a jaunty little tune as he walked out.

Once he was gone, Sara showed the girls their surprise. They were, indeed, very surprised. Plans for lunch had been to eat at a little cheap diner in downtown. A picnic was much better. Since it was already late morning, they decided to head for the park right away. After thanking Sara again, they trooped out the door and on to the unsuspecting streets of Montreal.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Mount Royal Park

"What a beautiful day it's been so far!" Isabella exclaimed, stretching out on the green grass.

"Isabella, you're going to get grass stains on that new skirt if you're not careful," Elena said absentmindedly, not even looking up at her sister. Isabella frowned and started to argue, but thought better of it and sat back up on one of the blankets the girls had brought for the picnic.

It had been a beautiful day. There had been no arguments to mar the mood. No one had attempted to discuss the war or the fact that they all had finals on Monday and Tuesday. The girls, at Chris's suggestion, had made a pact early in the term that they would not study on weekends. They found that weekend study sessions made them nervous and they usually did worse on exams if they studied for them the weekend before. Besides, with finals there was more than enough notice and all of them had been studying for at least two weeks, if not more.

After picking out a picnic spot, Elena had volunteered to stay with the food while the others walked around in the park. Natalie had remained behind as well, ostensibly to keep Elena company. But she was scribbling furiously in her ever-present notebook when the others had returned and they knew that inspiration had hit her while they were gone. In the meantime, Lorelei had shown Chris, Isabella, and Cathy around Mount Royal Park. It was a grand, beautiful old place and Chris thought privately that it would be nice to come and read some of her letters from Will here.

When the leisurely, somewhat lengthy stroll was over, the girls were more than ready for lunch. They did Sara's cooking justice. Even Elena and Natalie, who hadn't gone for a walk, ate more than they usually did. Now, they were recovering from said meal. Isabella looked around, curious as always to see what everyone was up to.

Natalie was writing in her notebook. Again. Isabella wished she could get a look inside that notebook just once. What if Natalie was writing about them? That was an exciting thought! A book with her before she was famous! For there was no doubt in Isabella Donnelly's mind that she _would_ be a successful actress someday.

She switched her gaze to Lorelei and Cathy. Apparently, those two had reverted back to the age of ten. Lorelei had taken her two hairpins out and was sitting with her back to Cathy. Cathy was sitting on her knees and....well, Isabella wasn't quite sure _what_ Cathy was doing to Lorelei's hair. Whatever it was, she hoped it would come out easily. Isabella let her eyes wander again until they fell on Elena and Chris.

At present, Elena was leaning up against a tree, reading a slim novel. She had wanted to bring 'Pride and Prejudice', but Isabella had refused to let her. Chris was stretched out with her head resting on Elena's legs, just below the other girl's knees. She seemed to be looking up at the sky. Isabella looked up, too, and decided that Chris must be deciphering shapes in the clouds. In reality, Chris was wondering if Will would be looking at those very same clouds in a few hours. Or had he already seen them? Was she looking at clouds Will had already seen that day? Had they already sent him back to Europe by now, where there would be stars in the sky at this moment? Thoughts like this would get her nowhere. Chris abruptly shook her head and sat up, causing both Elena and Isabella to frown slightly.

"Cathy, what are you doing to Lorelei's hair?" asked Chris, desperately latching onto any topic for conversation.

This innocent question brought a look of sheer panic to Lorelei's face.

"It's just a braid. It'll come out easily enough," Cathy replied, pouting slightly.

"Oh."

Lorelei relaxed visibly.

"I'm bored," Isabella proclaimed. Elena rolled her eyes, irritated with her sister's inability to stay still for more than ten seconds. Chris saw the expression and jumped in before the twins could argue.

"Well, what shall we do? We need to take the picnic baskets back to Ashford Crest first."

She was, of course, referring to Gregory and Sara Harding's home. The house, when they bought it seventeen years ago, had been called Ashford Crest, and Sara had refused to change the name. 'I'm not going to name a house,' she said, 'until I'm back at home on the Island'. And so it remained Ashford Crest. Rather unpoetic when all was said and done, but it was better than referring to it as 'the house'.

Reluctantly, they began to pack up the remains of the picnic lunch. Cathy looked longingly at the last piece of cake before shaking her head and placing it in the basket. Hadn't she noticed David Harris looking at her just the other day? And was it her imagination or were her dresses just a bit looser than they used to be? So, due to the willpower of Cathy, Gregory Harding got his cake that afternoon. And Sara didn't have to lift a finger.

* * *

Window shopping seemed to be the main activity of the afternoon. Just as Cathy had predicted, they wound up in the soda shop. The soda shop was actually called just that, only with a more poetic spelling. 'The Soda Shoppe.' It was a favorite of the McGill crowd but, surprisingly, it wasn't terribly crowded that afternoon.

"There aren't many people here today," observed Natalie as they took their seats in their usual booth.

"Oh, they're all panicking," Isabella replied, waving her hands around. "Cramming for those last few exams at the library. I'm so glad we made that pact. Chris, that really was a smart idea you had. During finals last term, I was just a complete wreck. I don't think I've ever been so calm!"

"Chris has a lot of good ideas when it comes to studying," Lorelei smiled at Chris, who returned it as she finished ordering a chocolate soda.

"Let's see. I think I want a strawberry milkshake," Isabella told the girl who was taking their orders.

Elena ordered a vanilla milkshake, Lorelei got a Coca-Cola, Cathy got the same, and Natalie followed Chris's example with another chocolate soda. They also decided that window shopping was hungry work and, since it had been almost four hours since their picnic, they ordered a basket of fries (chips?) as well.

"Well, girls, I don't think we could've asked for a better send-off than this," Natalie sighed as she closed her eyes and took the first sip of her chocolate soda. Chocolate, to Natalie, was not a mere taste. It was an experience, something to be savored and never, ever rushed.

"And the day's not even over, yet!" exclaimed Lorelei triumphantly. She and Isabella had gotten the most fun out of the window shopping and Chris watched her friend admiringly. Lorelei's cheeks were flushed, her eyes were sparkling and her hair was windblown. For a moment, she looked almost like the young girl back in the Haunted Wood. How long ago that seemed!

"That's right! We still have the film to look forward to. And after that, Elena and I have something planned for all of you back in our room."

Isabella's eyes were full of mischief that instantly had everyone on full alert. Well, everyone except Elena. She already knew what was going to happen.

"What's going on?" inquired Chris, her eyes going from one twin to the other.

"Never you mind, Christine Ford," Elena said, in her best motherly tone, which was quite good indeed. "You'll find out soon enough. For now, let's just be wild and carefree. We've nothing to worry about except how to split the ticket."

"There'll be no splitting the ticket because Chris and I are paying for it," said Lorelei.

"Oh, no you don't. Cathy and I have this one!" Natalie cried.

"Nonsense! It's our turn, isn't it, Elena?"

"What's all the fuss about, ladies?"

The voice served to distract them from their good-natured argument, but Chris could've done without the distraction. It was Peter Jamison, along with some of his friends from McGill. She had hoped to get through the day without running into him. Chris risked a sidelong glance at Lorelei and was somewhat relieved when she saw that there was no change in her friend's expression. No sudden flush of color, no sudden paleness. Well, that was good. Or was it?

"Hello, Peter," Lorelei said. Chris happily noted that she said it in the same tone that she would have used if she were saying hello to Matthew or perhaps even Mrs. Spurgeon. Well, no, not Mrs. Spurgeon. But definitely Matthew. A friendly tone, but no more.

Meanwhile, Isabella's date from the dance had already made his way over to Isabella's side of the booth and was greeting both her and Elena. Andrew Medlin really was a sweet young man and quite handsome. Isabella, who had known how to handle boys since she was twelve, actually found herself at something of a loss when it came to Andrew. She felt tongue-tied and shy around him, an unfamiliar and somewhat unwelcome feeling for someone like her. So she tended to snap at him. If it hadn't been for Elena's interference, Andrew would've given up long ago. But he was still persisting.

At this moment, he was asking how their day was going, Isabella was giving him a terse response, and Elena was smiling at him encouragingly. Natalie was watching the whole scene with interest, Chris was fixated on making sure that her best friend didn't respond too favorably to Peter, and so no one was paying any attention to Cathy. Therefore, nobody witnessed the first spark between two people who would be keeping all of McGill in an uproar for the next three years.

It was just a moment, just two simple words. But sometimes that's all it takes to change the course of a life, or even two lives. Cathy found herself looking into a pair of dark blue eyes quite unexpectedly and then found that she couldn't look away. The owner of these orbs was equally spellbound by her own hazel eyes and, eventually, he spoke up.

"Hello," he said, his voice very quiet.

"H-hello," she stammered back, before tearing her eyes away. Her cheeks flushed and she suddenly decided that her Coca-Cola was quite interesting. But she knew, for she could feel it, that his eyes never left her. She felt them burning into her. Cathy was the only child of very conservative parents. Perhaps a bit too conservative at times. At the moment, she felt as though she should be ashamed of something. But she wasn't. Not a bit. In fact, she felt....flattered. There was, however, a sort of roaring in her ears. It was as if her mind had blocked everything else out. All she could think of was the fact that he was still looking at her. Dimly, she heard the boys leave. It was only when she saw the group pass by the window that she was finally able to focus on her friends again.

"I said Chris and I are paying for it and that's the end of it," Lorelei was proclaiming. Apparently, she and Chris were winning the battle. Elena was signaling to Isabella to give up and Cathy's sudden lack of interest in conversation had cost her and Natalie the victory. At any rate, Natalie was giving Cathy a rather nasty glare while Lorelei and Chris happily counted out bills. But Cathy didn't care. Cathy had a secret.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''That night

"I like New York in June, how about you?"

"I like a Gershwin tune, how about you?"

"I love a fireside when a storm is due."

"I like potato chips, moonlights and motor trips. How about you?"

Elena and Isabella sang back and forth as the girls made their way to the dorms after the movie. The twins led the way, their arms linked, and Natalie and Lorelei, who were sharing the last of the popcorn, were right behind them. Bringing up the rear were Chris and Cathy.

The other girls laughed at the twins' antics. Obviously, with Isabella wanting a career in Broadway musicals, she was the possessor of a wonderful voice. Elena also sang well, although her voice wasn't quite as rich or as full as Isabella's. Isabella maintained that this was because Elena had never taken any lessons while she had. But Elena said that Isabella just had more talent. Usually, it was like pulling teeth to get Elena to sing. But today was a special day. She had thoroughly enjoyed the movie, she loved Judy Garland, and, as everyone knows, it really is difficult to not sing along with a Gershwin song. Even Natalie had to admit that the songs had been lovely.

Chris laughed as Elena hit a note wrong on purpose, just to irritate Isabella. Her laugh drifted away on the night air and she clasped her hands behind her back as she walked. Glancing sideways at the silent Cathy, she wished fervently that Lorelei wasn't so crazy for popcorn. Then Cathy and Natalie would be walking together, she and Lorelei would be walking together, and all would be right with the world.

A star winked at Chris slightly, as if it was laughing at her predicament, and she scowled. Then she felt guilty. Scowling at a star? Is this what she had come to? What would Grandmother Anne say? She had nothing against Cathy! Indeed, she hadn't even gotten to know Cathy! Maybe this was Providence. Maybe this was her chance to get to know Cathy. After all, it wasn't her fault that she had a horrid roommate. Besides, sophomores at McGill always got to choose their roommates and Cathy and Natalie had already decided to room together next year. This way, Chris would get a head start on getting to know her.

"Cathy?"

Chris laid a gentle hand on Cathy's arm as she spoke and was surprised when the girl practically jumped out of her skin at the touch.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"No. No, that's alright. I was just....thinking, I guess."

Thinking? Hmmm. Somehow that didn't fit the situation. But Chris didn't argue. Instead, she went on with her original statement.

"Cathy, I've been doing some thinking of my own. And I don't think I've really been fair to you."

"Oh?"

The reply was distant. Not cold. Just distant. As if Cathy was in another world.

"Yes. I've held you off because of your roommate. You know, because she's such a good friend of Anna's. And that's not fair to you. I'd just like to apologize for that."

"Oh."

The same distant tone. Chris risked a glance at Cathy and saw that the girl seemed to be staring into space. Oddly enough, instead of irritating Chris, it just amused her.

"I'd also like to apologize for telling Millicent Parsons that you were a liar and a sneak. That was wrong of me. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes, of course."

"Cathy, did you know there's a giant black spider on your head with pink and purple polk-a-dots?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Your dress is on fire."

"Is it?"

"David Harris is coming towards us right now and your hair's messed up and there's a giant stain all down the front of your blouse."

"That's nice."

Chris arched an eyebrow. Where was Cathy? If the name of David Harris wasn't bringing her back to earth, then something was definitely going on. She waited until she was sure the others were out of earshot and then brought Cathy back to reality.

"Cathy! Cathy!" she exclaimed, waving her hands wildly in front of the other girl's face. Cathy stared at her as if she had gone mad.

"Christine Ford, what are you doing? Have you just completely lost your mind? You're in public, for heaven's sake!"

Cathy started to quicken her pace towards the other girls, who still hadn't noticed the two lagging members of the group, but Chris grabbed her arm and started to walk with her slowly. Obviously, Cathy was back in reality. And Chris wanted to get to the bottom of things.

"So, Cathy, tell me all about him," Chris said. She was never one to mince words, of course. And she had come to the conclusion, correctly, that only a male could make Cathy behave in this manner.

Catherine Parnell was never good at lying. It was one of her chief flaws, or virtues as the case may be. She knew she was a horrible liar. She also knew that Chris was very intuitive. Sighing, she told the secret she had been able to keep for a few short hours.

"I don't know him. I just saw him for the first time this afternoon, in The Soda Shoppe. Is that silly?"

"No, I don't think so," Chris replied, linking her arm through Cathy's as the girl walked.

"It is silly. Mother would think it was. She's so sensible. She and father both are. That's why I'm here, you know. They thought that it would do me good. Get all those foolish notions out of my head."

"What foolish notions?" came the inquiry.

"They didn't like my....choice of career. So they sent me here to become a teacher. Mother was a teacher before she married father. There's nothing wrong with being a teacher. That's what Lorelei is here for, after all."

Chris simply stared at Cathy as they continued to walk. She was babbling!

"Cathy, I know why Lorelei is here. But if you didn't want to be a teacher, what did you want to be?"

Cathy was silent for a long time and Chris began to wonder if she would ever answer. But she had inherited the patience of the Blythes, so she didn't really mind waiting too much. Finally, Cathy answered.

"Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a....a designer."

"A designer?"

"Yes. A designer of clothes. I've always loved clothes, even though I really don't fit in all of them that well, do I?"

Chris frowned.

"Why do you always say things like that?"

"Like what?"

"Well, you're always making references to your figure. You're always saying that you're too big. I don't see anything wrong at all with you, Cathy. I've never thought you to be too big. In fact, you're about the size of my cousin, Emily."

"It's hard in a family like mine, Chris. I'm an only child, but both my parents have several brothers and sisters and I've loads of cousins. They're all just as thin as rails. Even more slender than you. I wish I could look like you, Chris. You're so tall and queen-like. And I'm so short and, well, you know. Anyway, up until today, I didn't think any boy would ever give me a second look."

"Up until today?" Chris prodded, her eyebrow arching again. Cathy blushed.

"Oh, Chris, I've never felt anything quite like that before. He was with that group of boys. And he had the most incredible pair of blue eyes I have ever seen. When we looked at each other, I just sort of stopped breathing. And I couldn't look away! I just couldn't look away, Chris! He said hello, and then I said hello. And then I finally managed to tear my eyes away from him. But, Chris, he didn't look away from me once! I could.....feel his eyes on me."

She whispered this last part so quietly that Chris had to lean in to hear. Chris bit her lip to keep from laughing when she saw that Cathy's face was nearly as red as the blouse she was wearing today. Cathy really did look lovely in that shade of red. She wasn't nearly as plain as she made herself out to be. She wasn't exotic, like the twins, or beautiful, like Lorelei and Natalie. But she had a soft loveliness and Chris became determined right then and there that, before Cathy graduated from McGill, she would see that she was a lovely young woman.

But that was in the future. Right now, what Cathy needed was reassurance. Chris didn't know who this young man was. She could find out by asking Elena, who could ask her friend, Andrew. Another route would be to ask Lorelei, but this would mean that Lorelei would have to talk to Peter. No, it would be better to ask Elena. Chris made a mental note of this before ending her conversation with Cathy.

"Cathy, I see nothing to be ashamed of in what you've told me. You've had a perfectly innocent encounter with someone in a soda shop. Why, for all you know, he might be the love of your life! Your future husband!"

"Or I might never see him again," Cathy said glumly.

Chris scowled at her as they neared the dorms. The other girls were standing on the steps, waiting impatiently for them to catch up.

"Or he might be your future husband. Catherine Parnell, you must learn to be more optimistic. Start looking at the brighter side of life, for heaven's sake. After all, he kept looking at you, didn't he?"

"Yes."

Chris lowered her voice.

"It felt just like his eyes were burning a hole through you, didn't it?"

Cathy stared at Chris in surprise. Chris just laughed.

"I've been on the receiving end of a look like that several times, my friend. But it's only come from one man. And he's the one who gave me this amethyst."

She flashed her engagement ring in front of Cathy and waited for a reaction. Slowly, Cathy began to smile.

"Do you really think that he might be....?"

"I don't see why not. It's fun to imagine, isn't it? Come on, Cathy. Let's go. The others are waiting. Let's see what this surprise is all about."

The two of them linked arms and marched up the steps and into the dorm building. Down the street, two young men watched them go in.

"She's the one, Jamison. She's definitely the one."

"Forget it, Jack. She's engaged. Met the guy a couple of weeks ago. She's head over heels for him."

"Really? She didn't give off the air of being engaged when we met in the soda shop this afternoon."

Peter Jamison laughed.

"There's an 'air of being engaged'? Really? Jack, I'm glad you've decided to join me here at McGill next year. You'll help educate me. So, what did you think of Lorelei?"

"Who?"

"Lorelei. Geez, Jack, where were you this afternoon? I introduced you to her and everything."

"Oh, yes. Lorelei was the girl with the blond hair?"

Peter stopped and stared at Jack in dismay.

"'Lorelei was the girl with the blonde hair?'" he mimicked. "Oh, Jack, what's wrong with you?"

"Well, she was pretty," Jack said, trying to soothe his friend's obviously ruffled feathers. He had, in truth, been rather taken with an altogether different girl.

"Pretty?! I should say so. Come on, Jack. You're the artist, here. I thought you'd have more taste than that. You're supposed to be a professional. Isn't this what you're going to college for? Lorelei's one of the...No, THE prettiest girl in Montreal. And the smartest, sweetest one, too. Oh, she's a wonderful girl, Jack. I mean to marry her someday. If she'll have me. I have the feeling that friend of hers has it in for me."

"What friend?"

"Her best friend. The one you said was so wonderful. The one that's engaged. By the way, she's engaged to Lorelei's brother."

Jack passed a hand over his eyes.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. This is all getting too confusing for me. Are we talking about the same girl?"

"I guess. You were talking about Chris earlier, weren't you? The one with the dark, dark hair and the grey eyes?"

"Dark hair? No! Although I do remember her. Very beautiful girl. No, I was talking about the other girl."

"Cathy?!"

"Cathy," Jack repeated the word like it was a holy mantra.

"You mean to tell me you spent the entire time in the soda shop staring at Cathy? She's the least alluring of the entire group!"

But Jack didn't reply. He just kept repeating the name 'Cathy', letting the word roll off his tongue as he walked. Peter gave up and shook his head. Obviously, Jack was besotted with the girl. He'd get over it. He always did. Jack would pine away over the summer, Cathy would come back, and there would be a torrid romance, during which Jack would declare his never ending devotion and undying love. Peter had been friends with Jack Loren since they were kids. He knew this game. The same traits that made him such a good friend also made him a horrible boyfriend. His 'artist's temperament' entitled him to change his mind. After a couple of months, he would end the relationships. Within a few weeks, he would find another soulmate.

Peter was slightly uncomfortable with this development. He knew Cathy well enough to know that she was a slightly sensitive girl. Then again, she was tougher than she looked. And she had her friends to protect her. Isabella, Elena, Chris, Lorelei, and Natalie. If they thought Jack might hurt her, it would be Jack who would need protecting. Yes, Cathy would be alright in the end. It was Jack that Peter probably needed to worry about.

Peter gave it until October. Yes. Late October would be when it would all end. By mid-November, everything would have blown over and by early December, no one would remember anything about it. He had no idea just how wrong he was. Oh, was he ever wrong.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hoping to have another chapter up really soon. This one was a huge headache! Biggest struggle I've ever had, believe me! But I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will be in Avonlea! Back home, yay!

P.S. My new kitten still doesn't have a name. We're at a loss. Any ideas? She's pure white, but her little ears are tinted orange and the tip of her tail is orange. And her eyes are blue. Anyone? I keep calling her Tippy, but even I know that's a dumb name for her. It just doesn't fit. Help!

Replies to reviews on Author's Note chapter:

Gufa: Boy, you've got that right. 'Don't get excited' is an odd chapter title, isn't it? LOL I'll have to keep that in mind for one of my humor fics. Thanks for the encouragement!

Steph: How to Break A Window With Your Elbow 101: First, you need an old back door with a big window in it. Next, the dead bolt in the back door needs to be slightly out of line with the door frame. This way, you have to push extra hard to get the dead bolt to lock into place. Finally, as all women do, use your hip to push door in the rest of the way. As you are pushing with your hip, stupidly use your elbow as well. Result: broken window and (thankfully) amused husband.

On-fire-for-Christ: I'm sorry I got you all excited for no reason. Will you forgive me?

Strawberry Lip Gloss: I hope everything went alright for you at orchestra camp. You sounded so stressed. You were in my thoughts, though. And I'm sorry about the cute guy. Did you really get humiliated in front of him? I hope not.

Stella Maynard: Thanks for your concern. It has been hectic. Luckily, I have come through unscathed. Not even a scratch from the window. Although the kitten has some pretty darn sharp claws.

Ruby: Yes. The worst thing out of all of it was the kittens. I hated losing them. But I do have one left and she is an absolute doll. Just don't know what to name her. I wish you lived near me, too. Then I'd have someone to talk to about Anne and LMM.

Silver Stockings: Funeral? Well....not exactly. See, we live in the country and there's a lot of stray dogs around. We used to have two cats and one died a couple of years ago. My husband buried her in a shoe box and the dogs.....well, let's just say that burying her didn't do the trick. My husband has disposed of the kittens in the only way we could dispose of them given the circumstances. Yes, you can really break glass with your elbow. Although you can't break the glass that's in our back door now. It's plexi-glass. He-he. I do hope you enjoyed the chapter.

HavilyGrace: Thank you! Thank you so much! I've been feeling so guilty! I really appreciate you making me feel better.


	38. An Informative Drive Home

Author's Note:

I told you that I'd get another chapter up as soon as possible. I'm writing this on the Friday before Labor Day. It's almost noon and, starting at 4:30 this afternoon, I will not be having access to a computer until Tuesday morning! So I'm making as much use of my time as I can. Who knows? Maybe I'll finish the entire chapter and get it posted. Uh....yeah. Right.

By the way, here's a small piece of advice. If the last thing you read on this story was my pitiful author's note explaining why I hadn't updated in so long _or_ Will and Chris's tearful (not to mention sappy) reunion then......STOP! Go back to Chapter 37 and read it. It's an actual chapter now! Yay! It's not absolutely necessary to read that chapter. At least not right away. But I've always found it easier to go in chronological order. Maybe that's just me, though.

Anyway, on with the show!

Disclaimer: I hereby declare that I am not going to do anymore disclaimers on this story. Heaven above knows that I've said it enough. For the last time, I don't own it. I never will own it except in that tiny, perfectly happy corner of my soul. It all belongs to the wonderful LMM and her very blessed descendants. Except, perhaps, for Anne. I've always had the sneaking suspicion that she belongs to herself. Well, there you have it, my friends. My last disclaimer for this story. It goes for the rest of the tale.

* * *

June 1, 1942

As the train pulled into Bright River that afternoon, Chris looked out the window eagerly, searching for some sign of her family. She knew, for mother had written her, that Grandmother and Grandfather Blythe were visiting for a couple of weeks right now. So she searched the platform for the dark heads of her mother and father, or the unmistakable silver glint of Anne Blythe's hair. Seeing none of the above, her face fell a little.

She did, however, manage to see one familiar face as the train slowed down. Gus Pike was waiting on the platform, his eyes searching the windows for the face of his daughter. Chris smiled a little when she saw that he had his pipe. That pipe. Felicity Pike always made such a fuss about it, but Chris had a sneaking suspicion that she would make more of a fuss if Gus _didn't_ smoke it.

As soon as the train stopped, the girls practically ran towards the exit. Lorelei was off first and it wasn't five seconds before her father had enveloped her in a tight hug. Chris also saw Felicity Pike and Cecily coming towards them. But there was still no sign of her own family.

She had no time to think about that, however. After releasing his daughter, Gus hugged Chris just as tightly, then held her back from him as if she was being inspected.

"Well," he said, his eyes twinkling a bit, "looks ta me like college life agrees with ya, Miss Ford. Ya certainly are lookin' grown up."

"Oh, Gus. Don't tease her," Mrs. Pike said, slapping her husband on the arm playfully. "Have you been enjoying college so far, Chris?"

"Yes, Mrs. Pike. Thank you very much. Lorelei was a great help to me, of course."

"Oh, of course I was. I warned her about which teachers to avoid. So she made sure that she registered for their classes," Lorelei put in, her tone sarcastic.

Felicity Pike smiled and Gus laughed. Yes, that sounded just like Chris.

"It's been horribly dull around here without you and Lorelei," Cecily proclaimed, coming over to give Chris a hug. "And with Sylvia gone, too, Emily and I have just been at a loss. We've had nothing to do since you left."

"Well, I don't know about that," Mrs. Pike admonished, as Gus went to get Felicity's bags. "There were, of course, all the Junior Red Cross meetings every week. Emily is Vice-President, you know. And Cecily here is the Treasurer. Not to mention Emily's seventeenth birthday party in March. Your Aunt Di never was one for doing things half-heartedly, Chris. That party will be the talk of Avonlea for years to come. It was simply lovely. A good chance for the youth around here to take their minds off things. Then there was the dance in April when Emily, in an apparent lapse of memory, accidentally accepted two separate invitations. Unfortunately, the two young men in question have been bitter rivals since childhood. I'm sure you remember Ellis Sloane and Alec Miller?"

"Oh, no," Chris covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hide her smile. The two young men Mrs. Pike just named had, indeed, hated each other since they were seven years old. Chris wasn't sure of the story, but it wasn't important at the moment.

"Oh, yes," affirmed Mrs. Pike. "Anyway, a solution was reached. Gus and I agreed to let Alec take Cecily. Ellis wound up taking Emily."

"But she's only fifteen!" protested Lorelei. "You didn't let me go to dances until I was sixteen!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, my dear," Mrs. Pike responded, unfazed by her daughter's outburst. "And Emily Wright was desperate. Besides, Cecily will be sixteen soon enough. And there's the funniest end to the whole thing."

"What about Matthew?" asked Lorelei, ignoring her mother and looking over to Cecily. When Chris and Lorelei had left Avonlea at the beginning of that year, Cecily and Matthew were still rather....moon-eyed over one another.

Cecily shrugged in response to her sister's question, which raised Chris's curiosity as well. What about Matthew? Lorelei wasn't about to let things go with a shrug.

"Cecily, what happened?"

"Oh, Lorelei, it wasn't anything dramatic. Don't make it out to be that way. It just sort of....stopped. That's all."

Both Chris and Lorelei watched for signs that Cecily was hiding something. But there were none. Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe that was all there was to it.

"As I was saying," Mrs. Pike continued, her voice rather forceful, "Emily continued to see Ellis for about two weeks, but nothing ever came of it. On the other hand, it seems as though Alec Miller has fallen head over heels for our little Cecily. Rather ironic, isn't it? He asks one girl to a dance, winds up taking another, and then falls for her."

Chris looked over at Cecily and saw with a bit of shock that the girl was blushing. She was blushing! And she noticed for the first time that Cecily was looking a bit more grown up. Just as her namesake had been known to do, Cecily was prone to torturing her silky smooth, dark brown hair into curls. It didn't help matters that both of her sisters had been born with naturally curly hair. But, today, her hair hung in a straight, dark sheen down her back. It suited her much better. Apparently, Mrs. Pike was finally letting her use cosmetics because, blushing aside, Cecily did have a bit more color to her face than usual. Chris suddenly felt old as she looked at this girl who was so much like a little sister to her. Cecily was growing up! And Will was missing it. He was missing out on being the protective older brother. He didn't know what a beautiful young lady Cecily was becoming. He didn't know she had a beau. He didn't know....What was Mrs. Pike saying?

"....said she was sorry they wouldn't be here right away, but they would come as soon as possible. They should only be a couple of minutes, Chris. You don't mind, do you?"

Oh. So they were just behind. Yes, that was understandable. At least, she supposed it was understandable. Chris wanted to cry. She really wanted to. Lorelei had her family, but where was Chris's? Delayed. Now she was being childish. And college students, not to mention engaged college students, simply didn't act childish.

"No, Mrs. Pike. I don't mind at all."

Mrs. Pike smiled and began walking towards the car, where her husband was waiting. Cecily and Lorelei remained with Chris for a little bit, though.

"You do mind, don't you?" Lorelei asked.

"A little, maybe," Chris replied, smiling ruefully. "But what can I do?"

"Emily and I thought we could all meet at the lighthouse tonight at sunset," Cecily spoke up. "Will that be alright?"

Chris smiled. She was a woodland creature, not prone to the call of the sea very often. But a sunset by the shore sounded like a wonderful way to spend her first evening at home.

"That sounds delightful. When Sylvia comes home from Queen's next week, we'll do the same thing."

The Pike sisters smiled in agreement. They loved the sea almost as much as their father did. Almost. There were quick hugs and kisses on the cheek all around as the girls parted. Gus and Felicity Pike watched from the car in amusement.

"Ya'd think we were seein' 'em off to college instead of bringin' 'em home," Gus remarked to his wife.

"They are a bit dramatic, aren't they?" she replied, smiling. "But that's what's wonderful about being that age, my dear Gus. You're entitled to be dramatic."

"Are ya now?" he inquired. "I never was."

"No, Gus. You never were. You never had the chance to be. But I was. And so were Sara and Felix, if you'll recall. Actually, Sara still is."

Gus only laughed at that remark as his two daughters finally piled into the car and they drove off, leaving Chris alone on the emptying platform. She stood there for a moment, at a loss as to what to do with herself. Finally, she sat down on a bench and passed the time picking out shapes in the blossoms of the nearby cherry trees.

"I wonder if I'm looking at the same trees Grandmother Anne was when she was waiting to be picked up all those years ago," Chris pondered out loud. She closed her eyes and tried to picture her grandmother sitting on the bench, waiting for a stranger. The day in question had been described to her so many times that she was quite sure she would succeed.

Yes, there was Grandmother! Only it was Grandmother as she was long ago. A skinny girl with two red braids and freckles on her nose, clutching a decrepit handbag as if her very life depended on it. She held her head high, but Chris could see deep into those eyes she had come to know so well. And she saw fear. How scared Grandmother must have been! Anne-of-Yesterday turned towards her and, to Chris's surprise, she spoke.

"Chris?"

How did Anne-of-Yesterday know her name?!

"Chris?"

Chris opened her eyes, fully expecting to see a little girl with red braids and laughing grey-green eyes standing in front of her. But she was more than happy with who she did see.

"Leslie!"

The younger of the two Ford girls launched herself off the bench and into her sister's arms. In spite of her resolve, Chris felt the tears begin to sting and they soon escaped her eyes. She was somewhat relieved when she realized that Leslie was crying as well. It made her feel a little better somehow.

"When did you come home?" Chris asked, when they pulled away from each other.

"Three days ago. I'll be here for a month," Leslie replied. She had debated this morning on whether Chris should know more before deciding that the rest of her news could wait for another day. This was Chris's first day home. No sense in telling her the news now.

"Did everyone else know?"

"Yes, but I made them promise not to tell you. I hope you don't mind that they didn't come, Chris. I had quite a fight on my hands keeping them away from the station. Especially with Dad. He was wild to get down here and see you. But I wanted you all to myself. Look over there."

Chris looked accordingly and laughed when she saw that her father, or someone, had gotten out the old Cuthbert buggy and polished it up. It was the very same buggy Matthew had brought a young orphan girl to Green Gables in and, as such, Davy Keith had never had the heart to get rid of it when buggies went out of style. Ken and Rilla Ford were of the same mindset and the Ford family actually still used it on occasion. A horse that had obviously come from the King farm was hitched to the buggy.

"This is how we'll go back into Avonlea. Just like Grandmother. Won't it be fun? The buggy handles beautifully, Chris. I practiced with it all day yesterday. Father's kept it in excellent repair. It just needed to be cleaned up a bit, that's all."

"What about my things?" Chris inquired, as they started towards the buggy.

"Oh. Oh, yes. Father said to just get a couple of the smaller bags. He and Matthew will bring the car 'round later for the trunk. Oh, Chris, isn't it wonderful to be on the Island?" Leslie took a deep breath of air as she picked up a bag. "Just smell that air."

"It doesn't smell like anything," Chris remarked, wondering if her sister was quite alright.

"Exactly my point. Just good, clean Island air. To think there was once a time when I thought all I wanted to do was grow up, marry a rich man, and leave the Island! I think I must've been crazy, Chris!"

Chris climbed into the buggy and somewhat nervously waited for Leslie to do the same. She was a little doubtful about her sister's skills with a horse and buggy. But her parents wouldn't have let Leslie do this if they didn't think it was safe. Would they?

Leslie climbed up next to Chris and, with a smile that served to put her younger sister even more on edge, she slapped the reins against the back of the horse. Luckily, being a King horse and therefore disinclined to misbehavior, the animal started off at a smooth walk and didn't give them a spot of trouble the entire time. So Leslie and Chris were free to talk.

Although Leslie wasn't going to give Chris her own bad news, there was something she would have to prepare Chris for before they got to Green Gables. Things had happened in the Blythe clan during the past few weeks that had been kept from Chris at the request of Gilbert and Anne. Having been college students themselves, they didn't want anything else distracting their granddaughter from finals. Finals were hard enough without getting stressful news from home.

Leslie, unlike Chris, did not like to jump right into things. So she tried to think of something to start the conversation that would not link directly to the war. Being in the military service herself, this was not exactly easy for Leslie to do. But fate was on her side that afternoon and it intervened in the form of the sun shining through the trees and gleaming off something that was resting against Chris's neck.

"Chris, where did you get that necklace you're wearing?"

"Hmmm? Oh! It was a gift from two of my friends at McGill. Isabella and Elena, you remember them from my letters."

"The twins from America?"

"Yes."

"It's lovely."

"Yes, it is. All of us...I mean Isabella, Elena, Natalie, Cathy, Lorelei, and me...went out on the town this past Saturday. We went on a picnic and went window shopping, then stopped at the soda shop and ended up at the movies that night. I told you Isabella is an aspiring Broadway actress, didn't I? I'm sure I mentioned it in my letters. Well, we went to see 'Babes on Broadway' and just had a marvelous time all in all. Isabella called it our first 'last hurrah'. Apparently, she means to have a few more with us," Chris finished, laughing.

The lockets had been the ending of that 'last hurrah'. They were the surprise Isabella and Elena had been so mysterious about in the soda shop. All of the girls, including the twins, now possessed a heart-shaped locket on a gold chain. Each girl had her initials engraved on the back and, on the front, was the simple word 'Friends' in delicate, flowing script. The other four had protested such a gift, but the twins had ignored their arguments and had instead informed them that they would all have their picture done together next term. That way, there would be something to put in the locket.

"Well, it is a beautiful locket. And they sound like wonderful friends, Chris. I'm glad you found them."

"I'm glad, too. I'm glad I had Lorelei to introduce me to them. If it hadn't been for her, I don't know what I would've done."

They drove on in silence for a while before Leslie finally decided that there simply was no delicate way to approach the rather unpleasant news she had for her sister. Bad as this news was, she didn't even want to think about the rest of it. But the other news was for a different day.

'One bad thing at a time, Leslie,' the oldest Ford girl thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she dove right in.

"Chris, um, there have been a few more boys in Avonlea who signed up."

"Who?"

Chris wasn't really surprised. She had expected as much. It was a fact of life these days. Unpleasant, but unavoidable.

"Well, Ellis Sloane went last week. George Spurgeon, Drew Baker, Martin Lawson. They've all signed up since you left for college. That's what mother told me."

Four. Four young men that Chris still saw as rosy-cheeked young boys. Four young men that she had climbed trees with, played stickball with, even fished with on occasion. It just wasn't fair.

"Chris?"

"Yes?"

"Robert enlisted three weeks ago."

"Robert Murray?"

Leslie sighed.

"No, Chris. Robert Wright. Our cousin."

Chris was silent. So Robert had gone. They had all hoped he wouldn't. He was the only son. Uncle Jack had a farm to take care of and he needed Robert's help. Emily needed her big brother. Chris started to get angry.

"Well, Robert always was a selfish pig," she spat out.

Leslie didn't say anything. Truthfully, she had sort of expected this reaction and that was why she was telling Chris the news now. Because Chris's reaction would've been the same, no matter what company she was in. If she had said such a thing in front of the whole family, there would have been quite a.....stir, to say the least. They drove on in silence for a while as Leslie let Chris think things over. She was glad of the buggy. It gave them lots more time and Leslie hadn't dropped the big news on Chris, yet.

"I didn't mean that, you know," Chris finally said, her voice very small. Leslie glanced over at her sister and bit back a smile. Chris looked a little bit like a turtle, hunched over as if she were trying to disappear inside of her clothes.

"I know you didn't. And Robert would be the first person to defend your statement."

Well, that was true enough. Robert Wright had one of the sweetest spirits in the entire Blythe family, which made Chris's previous statement that much more ironic. He was quiet, an introvert, with a very sensitive soul. None of the grandchildren knew it, and Anne would vehemently deny it in the years to come, but, deep down, Anne Blythe was more worried about him than her other grandsons. He reminded her too much of the son she had sent away who had never come home. Although Walter Ford carried that son's name and, indeed, that son's looks, Anne sometimes felt that Robert must be carrying her son's soul. And she wasn't the only one who saw it. Gilbert saw it. Di and Rilla saw it. Jem and Nan had seen it on occasion. Even Shirley, who had only seen Robert a few times, saw his lost brother in that nephew of his. They all saw it. And they all feared for him silently.

But none of the younger generation knew of this. All they knew was that Robert had gone. He had turned eighteen in January and, at first, seemed content with his lot of staying home and helping his father on the farm. But Robert was struggling. Jack Wright knew that, eventually, he would have to be hiring some help. He expected it long before it happened and warned his wife. But they said nothing to the rest of the family. Still, the fact that they were expecting it didn't soften the blow any when their only son announced that he wanted to enlist. Like countless mothers before and after her, Di Wright took it calmly on the surface and then cried herself to sleep that night in her husband's arms. Truth be told, Jack did some crying of his own that night as well.

Robert was gone, though, and life was going on at Orchard Slope. Emily was a bit quieter these days, but she was coping, Leslie told Chris. Aunt Di had circles under her eyes and Uncle Jack, the joker in the family, didn't smile as much, but things were better than they had been three weeks ago. At least, that's what Mother had told Leslie.

All these reactions were to be expected, Chris realized. After Walter left, it had been the same at Green Gables for a while. Then, one day, some one had laughed and they all realized that it was okay for things to be normal. Listening to Leslie talk, she became determined to give Emily one of the greatest summers of her entire life.

"Chris, are you listening to me? I said I had something important to tell you."

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. What is it, Leslie?"

"Now, I don't want you to get upset. Well, that was a silly thing to say. Forget I said that, because you are going to get upset. I'm telling you this to prepare you, for the same reason I told you about Robert."

"Prepare me for what?"

"I just don't want this news sprung on you in front of the entire family."

"What news?"

Leslie hesitated and then decided to just tell Chris straight out.

"Uncle Jem 'phoned last week. John's enlisted."

There. It was out. Leslie blew out a long breath, relieved. In truth, that was the news she had been worried about. Well, today anyway. Chris, in the meantime, was stunned.

"John? But John can't enlist! He's only..."

"Sixteen. Yes, I know. Apparently, he lied about his age. Chris, he's already gone off to training. He'll come back home in six weeks. After that, who knows?"

"What do you mean 'who knows'? Uncle Jem can get him out, can't he? He lied, Leslie! He lied to the military!"

"Exactly. And lying to the military is the same as lying to the government. Uncle Jem's in a tough spot, Chris. If he reveals the fact that John lied, then John's going to be in big trouble. And I do mean big trouble. I'm not even sure that we can even comprehend how much trouble this could mean for John."

"So we're just supposed to send a sixteen year old off to war? Leslie! Oh my gosh!"

"What?"

"You know how close John and Matthew are. What if Matthew gets the same idea?"

Leslie smiled a little.

"I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. Apparently, there was a conference at Green Gables the day after Uncle Jem called. I wasn't here, yet. But Mother told me all about it. It involved several guests, Chris. Father and Grandfather were here, of course. Then there was Mr. Pike, Uncle Jack, Mr. Guest, Mr. King, and Uncle Jerry."

"Uncle Jerry was here?"

"Uncle Jerry came here expressly for this purpose. And I have the feeling that Uncle Jem would've come, too, if Aunt Faith hadn't been just absolutely beside herself over John. Anyway, they spent the entire afternoon with poor Matthew. I don't think that lying about his age so he can enlist is a part of his plan anymore, if it ever was."

Chris thought about the list of men that Leslie had just rattled off.

"All the men in Matthew's life that he's ever looked up to. It was nice of Mr. Guest to come, considering the short time he's known us."

"I have the feeling, Chris, that the Guest's consider us lifelong friends. Despite the fact that we only met in the past two years."

"Well, Leslie, do you have any more bad news for me?"

Leslie frowned.

"I am sorry, Chris, to have to be the town crier. I just thought it would be better if you were prepared."

Chris nodded her head.

"And you were right. You know I hate for things to get sprung on me in a crowd of people. Which reminds me. How many people are going to be at Green Gables when we get there?"

"Well, our family, obviously. And Grandmother and Grandfather. Uncle Jack, Aunt Di, and Emily are supposed to be there, too. But that's all that I know of. Pretty small crowd, really. Considering."

"Yes, it is. Thanks for the preparation, Leslie."

"Anytime. Now, tell me about you. We've written back and forth, I know, but letters are never enough for me. Tell me about these friends of yours. They sound like fun!"

She was deliberately changing the subject, something Chris normally did not appreciate. But this time she didn't mind it too much. Both girls knew that, one of these nights, they would wake up at three o'clock in the morning and they would think about these two cousins of theirs. Three o'clock in the morning was enough time to think about things like that. These past two years had taught the Ford girls that much at least.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

A/N: I know it's rather boring, but it's a bit of a transition chapter you see. Never fear. I already have tons of ideas for the next chapter, not to mention three pages. And, if all goes according to plan, there will be almost one whole chapter of Emily. I think. If she cooperates. Thanks everyone for your patience. You're all so wonderful!


	39. More Unexpected News

A/N: Hey, look! I'm alive! Amazing, isn't it? And I owe all of you an apology and an explanation. So……I'm sorry. I truly did not mean to go so long between updates. And as to the explanation…….I really did have three or four pages of this chapter written when I posted the last one. And then I got stuck. So I decided to go in a different direction. I wrote about five new pages and proceeded to get stuck once again. Trying yet another direction, I wrote this chapter from the beginning once again, got four pages done and ran up against another proverbial wall. (sighs) Frustrated, I gave up and took a break. My birthday came up, followed shortly by the Christmas holidays. You all know how those are. Plus a bout of pneumonia. Irritated with my inability to get this chapter written, I went back and read this story from the very beginning, hoping that would jumpstart something. And when I re-read the drafts I had written for this chapter…….wouldn't you know that the first one I had written is the one I decided to go with after all? Isn't it always the way?

That being said, it wasn't easy to write this chapter. But you've already guessed that. Things didn't flow for me like they usually do. But I hope you enjoy it just the same. Just to recap, Chris has returned to Green Gables from McGill for the summer. And Leslie has one last bit of news to share with her. That's what this chapter focuses on. I know where I want this story to go after this. It was just this chapter that gave me fits. I'm writing out replies to reviews, but it's been so long I'm not sure I've got everyone in here. Please don't feel slighted if I omit you. Understand that I appreciate and treasure every review I receive. And I try to reply to each one. Review if you can. I love hearing your comments!

SHOUT-OUTS:

Peggy: I know you're out there. And I know you'd given up on me. But you shouldn't do that. I intend to finish this story. Enjoy!

Ruby: You have been so patient with me. Everyone has. I do intend to write more about Cathy and her 'paramour' as you refer to him. You will be hearing more from that corner. I thought you'd like the 'Anne-of-Yesterday'. I particularly enjoyed writing that segment. As for my kitten……I'm afraid I had to give her away. It's a long story, but she is in a lovely home with a little girl. And I know her owner personally, so I know she's being well-cared for.

Strawberry Lip Gloss: A long review! Ah, yes. The stare burning into Cathy. I just loved writing about that. You will learn more about Cathy in future chapters. I enjoy writing her character. I miss writing about Will and Walter. I may post something about Walter soon, but I'll have to figure out how to work him in. I love trains, too! We have one that goes through the Ozarks and I've always wanted to ride on it in the Fall, when all the leaves are turning. More about Emily in the next chapter!

On-fire-for-Christ: Oh, dear. Well, I have disappointed you, haven't I? I apologize again for the long delay, but I just had no control over it. I hate it when I can't think of what to write. I hope you can forgive me for waiting so long.

Lovejag: Wow! I am so flattered that you would read all of my story so quickly. Thank you so much for your review. I love getting reviews. Enjoy the chapter.

Stella Maynard: Perfect timing? (smiles) That's debatable at this point. But thank you. Jack and Cathy. I'm rather proud of that development, I must admit, and I can't wait to write more about it. Emily has a bit of an expanded part in this chapter. Hopefully, you'll like her a little bit more. And she'll be in the next chapter, too.

Steph: I'm so glad everyone seems to like the plot development with Cathy! I was nervous about it, to tell you the truth. Leslie and Chris's relationship is going to be……..tested in this chapter, for lack of a better word. But don't worry. I won't make you wait until the next chapter to find out if they survive. It's all resolved in this one.

Gufa: (laughs) I'm sorry Ruby and I are depressing you! And I don't think you'll be too happy with me after reading this chapter. But you'll still be my friend, I hope. Now that I've gotten past this wall……I can get on with the plot that's been in my head for the past three months!

Lauri: Thanks for your review! It's nice to know I'm not the only person reading on the lunch hour. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Aliane: I'm glad you like Chris and Will together. I worked terribly hard to make them fit so well. As for Lorelei and Walter……..I can't reveal future plotlines. But I want them together as well. You teared up? That's a very high compliment. Thank you. But I feel rather bad that I made you tear up. Thank you for the review!

Adriennelane: As far as Will goes, I will tell you that I didn't have any immediate plans for him to come to harm. Note the use of the word 'immediate'. So rest easy. For now. I'm terribly cruel, aren't I?

Silver Stockings: 'Tinkling'. I like that description. As for Cathy and Jack…….I can't reveal the outcome. But you will find out soon enough. Now that I'm past my block. Oh, what a horrid story! That's terrible! Where did you find that out……about that young man from Australia? I didn't even know about that. But I figured there were plenty of young men who lied about their age to join up. Poor Faith, indeed!

Rainbeaux: Another new reviewer! Hooray! And I'm honored that you would read my story from the beginning. So glad you like it that much. There's actually a little bit about Joseph in here. He was injured a few months back, if you'll recall, and this chapter touches on that. Enjoy!

Rachellynne: I'm getting threats about Walter! I'll do my best. Thank you for all the compliments! And thank you for being so patient. I don't deserve it at all. But things should run smoother now. My plots are in my head. Have been for months. I just couldn't write them until this chapter was written.

Remember Me: Yes, an Anne and a 'LotR' fan. I'm quite varied. 'Anne', 'LotR', 'Stargate', 'PotC'……it's rather frightening. I hope you've enjoyed the story. And I look forward to hearing more from you.

Lilkat92: My apologies again for taking so long. I was just…..stuck. But I hope you enjoy!

Kat Solo: Wow! Thank you for all of your compliments. I'm practically blushing! I hope that you like this chapter. And I hope that the rest of my story lives up to your expectations.

Smoltenica: All these reviews! Thank you so much! Brilliant? I hardly think so, but thank you just the same. I'd like to write a real book, actually, but I barely have the time for fanfiction these days. Perhaps someday. Yes, I like Chris's imperfections, too. And I am almost gleeful when I write Sylvia. She's such fun to write! Shameless fluff is something I like to indulge in every once in a while. It's a weakness of mine. 'Marvellously'? Well, thanks again! And Chris will be having to say goodbye to someone else soon. Very soon. Your review does NOT sound bulky and stupid. I LOVE getting reviews. Is there a word such as 'authoring'? Well……there is now. Sappiness is also a weakness of mine. And this chapter might get that way. Just a warning. Ah, Walter and Lorelei. Another question mark. Oh, I'm sorry. I should have clarified. I did mean 'brother's best friend'. You see, Chris fell in love with Will, who is Walter's best friend. And Elena is in love with Daniel, who is her brother's best friend. But I didn't mention that. Good catch. Thanks for your encouragement on my novel, even though I haven't begun it, yet. You're right, it wasn't a satisfying chapter to leave all of you hanging on. I apologize again for waiting so long. And I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Maya: Thanks for the review. Sorry for waiting so long and I hope you like the chapter.

* * *

''''''''''''''''''''''''''June 10, 1942 

"Where's Chris?"

Leslie looked up from her embroidery to see her grandmother standing in the doorway of the bedroom. From the look on Anne Blythe's face, she had been searching for Chris for more than a few minutes. Leslie smiled.

"She mentioned something about meeting the other girls in the Haunted Wood this afternoon. You know they've been inseparable since Sylvia got home two days ago. She should be home by supper, though. Lorelei and Cecily are under strict orders not to stay out too long. And I think Mrs. Guest is getting rather tired of sharing her daughter. But I believe Emily will be coming over for supper tonight," Leslie replied with a smile.

"I see," Anne replied. "Well, in that case, let's talk about you."

Leslie frowned a bit, not liking the abrupt turn in this conversation at all. Anne ventured further into the room and sat down on Chris's bed. She regarded her granddaughter with a piercing gaze that, for all it's frankness, was nevertheless sympathetic.

"She's been home for almost two weeks, Leslie," Anne said softly. "You'll have to tell her soon."

"But she's so happy," Leslie argued, knowing that she sounded petulant but not caring in the slightest. "I don't want to be the cause of her unhappiness."

"You won't be," her grandmother assured her. "Leslie, none of us are particularly happy about this decision that you've made. I'm not sure that even you are happy about this decision. But I do think that you are doing what you're supposed to. Chris will see it, too. But you should tell her before someone else does."

Leslie looked at her grandmother in alarm.

"Cecily and Emily wouldn't do such a thing! I'm not even sure that Cecily has told Lorelei, yet! And I don't think Sylvia knows at all, unless Mrs. Guest told her."

"Dearest, I wasn't talking about Chris's friends. You've lived in Avonlea long enough to know that some people will tell things they know just for spite. This place is one of the dearest places in the world. Sometimes, I think it's like a fairyland in a storybook. But all stories have their villains, Leslie, and Avonlea is no exception. Almost everyone here knows your plans, although we've tried to keep everything a secret. You should tell Chris before someone, well-meaning or not, lets something slip in front of her."

Although she didn't want to, Leslie saw the sense in her grandmother's words. Reluctantly, she nodded her head.

"Alright, Grandmother. I'll tell her tonight. After supper."

Everything inside Anne wanted to drag Leslie out of her chair by the window and down the stairs to find Chris at that very moment. But she fought the instinct down and smiled instead. Rising from her position on Chris's bed, she put a hand on Leslie's shoulder. Her touch had the effect of calming the young girl's fears.

"She'll understand, Leslie. Maybe not right away. But in time."

Anne left the room and Leslie tried to go back to her embroidery, which was to be a birthday present for Deb, but it was useless. Sighing and tossing it aside, she got up and walked over to the window, looking out across the fields. She could see the Haunted Wood in the distance.

"In time," she repeated, laughing softly and a little bitterly. "Time isn't something I have much of."

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Meanwhile, Chris, Lorelei, Emily, Cecily, and Sylvia had long since vacated the Haunted Wood. They had opted instead for a visit to the town of Avonlea that would ultimately prove to be very…..illuminating.

The other three girls walked well ahead of Chris and Emily, chattering gaily. Chris managed to catch the name 'Peter Jamison' and scowled before she could stop herself. Emily's mouth quirked up a little at the corners.

"Is he that bad?" she asked in a soft voice.

Chris sighed, well aware that she wasn't going to be able to hide how she felt about Peter.

"No, he isn't. And that's what bothers me about him. I just don't think he's right for Lorelei."

"You make it sound as though they're engaged," Emily said, only half-teasingly. She knew her cousin well enough to read her moods and she could tell that Chris was truly bothered by this Peter Jamison, whoever he was.

"They might as well be," Chris replied glumly. Then, "Oh, he isn't all that bad. Truly, he isn't. I have a feeling he and I would be friends if it wasn't for the fact that he seems so intent on stealing Lorelei's heart. He's handsome, charming, and nice. Not exactly a kindred spirit, but he treats Lorelei like a queen."

"He isn't Walter, though, is he?" Emily questioned, bringing Chris to a dead halt.

"How did you know?" she asked, too stunned to even bother with denying Emily's charge.

"Robert told me before he left," Emily said, pulling on Chris's arm so they didn't fall too far behind the others, thereby arousing suspicion. Chris allowed herself to be dragged down the road for a few feet before finally moving her legs on her own.

"H-how did he know?" she finally stammered out. She had always assumed that Walter's feelings for Lorelei were secret. It was rather disconcerting to keep finding other people who knew about them. First Alex……then Robert……now Emily? Honestly, what was the use of keeping a secret anymore?

"Robert was always observant, Chris, you know that. He told me a few weeks before he left that he had learned a lot by just keeping his mouth shut and his eyes peeled."

"Robert said that?"

Emily smiled a little.

"Well, he was a bit more poetic than that, but that was what he said in a nutshell."

"Sounds like something Joseph said to me once," Chris mused, remembering Joseph's words as she had danced with him at Sara Pike's wedding reception three years ago. Three years ago!

"Robert and Joseph _are_ alike in some ways. For instance," Emily lowered her voice, even though the other girls were well out of hearing range, "I can trust you with a secret, can't I, Chris? You trust me not to tell anyone about Walter and Lorelei, don't you?"

"There _is_ no 'Walter and Lorelei'," Chris said grimly. "But I know what you mean. Of course I trust you, but are you sure you should be telling me?"

Emily nodded.

"Robert wouldn't mind. Out of all our cousins, I know he wouldn't mind you knowing this."

Emily beckoned Chris closer and whispered in her ear. Surprise flickered over the older girl's features and, when Emily pulled away, Chris stared at her in shock.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! Robert told me himself! I should think my brother would know who he's in love with!" Emily defended herself, and her brother, with righteous indignation.

"Well, does she know?" Chris asked, casting a glance in the direction of the girl in question.

"No, I don't think she has an inkling of how he feels. Robert's never gone near her. Or any girl for that matter. He's too shy, too unsure of himself. And the fact that she is 'spoken for' now makes her off limits anyway. Robert's always been so softspoken and so serious. The girls around here have always treated him as a friend and he's always treated them with respect, but never tried to win any hearts. My brother doesn't have the dashing looks of Joseph or the quick wit of Alex or the easygoing charm of Will. He's just….."

"Robert," Chris finished. "And that should be more than enough for any girl. He has the soul of a poet, but he doesn't have the courage to speak."

"Just the courage to enlist," Emily said softly.

Chris put a comforting arm around her cousin and pulled her a little closer.

"He'll be fine, Emily. Just as all the other boys will be fine. They'll come back. And all will be right with the world again."

Emily smiled meekly at this overly optimistic statement and nodded her head. But both girls knew in their hearts that the world would never go back to the way it was, even if all their loved ones came back to them. Sylvia's voice brought them out of their dark thoughts.

"Are you two going to walk this slowly all day long? Chris, if you take this long when you're at McGill, it's a wonder you ever get to your classes on time!"

"I'm on vacation!" Chris shot back, bringing a true smile to Emily's face as both girls picked up their pace to catch up with the other three.

"That's no excuse," Sylvia maintained as Chris and Emily fell into step with the others. "Well, girls, where shall we go first? Lawson's? Or the post office? Or-."

"Post office!" was the resounding cry as the girls entered the bustling hamlet that was Avonlea. Sylvia grinned.

"I had the feeling that would be your answer. And even if it wasn't…….that's where I was going. Come on, then. The post office it is."

Moody Spurgeon should have retired as the postmaster of Avonlea long ago, in Dr. Gilbert Blythe's professional opinion. He was not well, physically. But, as Dr. Gilbert Blythe's wife pointed out (rather nastily for her), if he retired, he would have to spend more time at home. And who would want to spend more time at home with Josie Pye?

In reality, that was only a small part of the reason Mr. Spurgeon was still postmaster in Avonlea. He liked the comings and goings. And right now, some of his favorite people were coming into his post office. Unlike his wife, and a few of his grandchildren, he adored Chris Ford and her friends. He stood up when they came in, his eyes shining as he took in all the exuberance of their youth. Ah, to be young again.

"Well, now. And what can I help you ladies with today?"

"Good afternoon, Mr. Spurgeon," Chris began. "We were just in town and thought we'd see if there was any mail."

Mr. Spurgeon smiled at all of them.

"Oh, so you thought you'd see if there was any mail? Well……..it just so happens there _is_ some mail. For each of your households. Just you wait right here and I'll go get it. Donny," he signaled to his grandson to come and help him, but the boy didn't move from his corner. "Donny! Donald!"

The young man jumped.

"Yes, Grandfather?"

Mr. Spurgeon observed him with a keen eye.

"If you can tear your eyes off young Miss Wright over there long enough, I need your help back here."

Both 'Donny' and Emily blushed to the very roots of their hair. Donny mumbled a 'Yes, Grandfather' and followed Mr. Spurgeon to the back of the post office while the other girls cast glances at Emily that were both teasing and sympathetic. Donny was nice, for a Spurgeon. But when all was said and done……..he was still a Spurgeon.

Unfortunately for the girls, an ill wind was blowing in Avonlea that day. And it happened to whisk Myra Blewett, along with Leonora Sloane and Margaret Pye, right into the post office at that precise moment. Chris and her friends managed to be civil enough to Leonora, who really wasn't so bad, but Margaret and Myra were another story altogether. Myra and Chris had despised each other from childhood, which meant that Lorelei, Cecily, and Emily were also Myra's enemies by default. And Margaret had loathed Sylvia Guest ever since she had stolen Alex Blythe's heart without 'giving the other girls of Avonlea a chance'. Such was the mentality of the Pye clan.

"Hello, Chris!" exclaimed Myra, her tone fairly dripping with honey. "Goodness, you and Lorelei are looking pale. Does McGill not agree with you?"

"Hello, Myra," Chris replied, not even bothering with false sweetness. Her tone held a trace of civility, but not much more…….and it got under Myra's skin that Christine Ford was able to hold her own without fawning all over Myra, who was the most popular girl in Avonlea. So she began to get in her little digs where she could.

"Have you had any letters from William lately?" she inquired, still with that drop of honey in her voice.

Chris mentally slapped Myra for calling her fiancé 'William'. Only _she_ called him 'William'. And only _she_ was allowed to let the name linger on her lips like that. So amusing was the picture in her mind that a small smile actually played about her mouth as she answered the question.

"No, Myra. But I did see him recently. He had a short leave and came to escort me to a dance at McGill. Why? Have _you_ received any letters from him lately?"

The question was asked in a very innocent tone…….too innocent. Chris knew what she was doing. She knew that she was baiting Myra Blewett. And she hated herself for it instantly. Stooping to the level of a Pye! Was this what she had come to? But it was almost worth the feeling of complete nastiness just to see Myra's face drain of all its color. And _was_ Leonora hiding a smile behind her hand? Chris couldn't be sure, for Mr. Spurgeon and his grandson returned at that moment with the mail.

"Here you are, ladies," Mr. Spurgeon handed them their mail with a wink and a smile. "I do believe Miss Sylvia will find something of particular interest in the stack for Wyndhaven."

Had it been anyone else, Sylvia would have been irritated at this obvious allusion to her romance with Alex. But, somehow, she didn't mind that Mr. Spurgeon knew she had a letter from her beloved. Besides, it was worth the look of rage on Margaret Pye's face.

"Thank you, Mr. Spurgeon!" the five girls called out in almost perfect unison as they began to troop out the door.

"You're welcome, girls," he replied.

Another five seconds would have changed everything. Or a simple switch in the way the girls were positioned. Had Chris been in the lead, instead of Cecily, it is quite possible that nothing would've come of Myra Blewett's spiteful remark. But another five seconds did not tick by before Myra made her remark and Cecily_was_ the one leading the way out of the post office. And so Chris heard what Myra said……which is exactly what Myra intended.

"It's understandable why Chris Ford is looking so pale these days," Myra confided to Leonora and Margaret in a very loud stage whisper. "I shouldn't wonder, given the news about Leslie Ford."

Myra Blewett was her grandmother over again. Josie Pye would've been proud in that moment. For Chris heard her and stopped in the doorway. Emily had also heard and her eyes went round with shock as she realized that Chris meant to go back inside. She grabbed her cousin's hand and whispered to her imploringly.

"Come on, Chris. Let's just go."

But Chris had no intention of 'just going'. She wanted to know what Myra was talking about. Normally, she was not the type to listen to idle gossip. But the way Leslie had been acting the past few days, coupled with the look of sheer panic in Emily's eyes, only furthered her resolve to find out just exactly what 'news' Myra was referring to.

Chris swept back into the post office, followed closely by a rather frightened-looking Emily. Sylvia, Lorelei, and Cecily appeared shortly, looking rather bewildered. They hadn't heard the comment, but they were wondering why Chris felt it necessary to visit the post office again.

Facing Myra Blewett, Chris took a deep breath and asked the question that she was soon to wish had never left her mouth.

"What do you know about my sister, Myra Blewett?"

It was with more than a little triumph in her voice that Myra told Chris just exactly what she knew about Leslie. And when she was done, Chris didn't believe a word of it. Until she looked at Emily. In Emily's face, she saw that all Myra said was true. And that everyone had been keeping it from her since she got home. The only comfort in all of this was that Sylvia and Lorelei looked just as shocked as she felt. So she was not the only one to have this sprung on her. Not the only one to have secrets kept from her.

"Chris-." Emily began, reaching for her cousin.

But Chris snapped back from Emily's hand and tore out of the post office, dropping the letters on the floor as she went. Lorelei picked them up and regarded Myra for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Emily.

"No, Lorelei," Emily said softly, her emerald eyes falling on Myra with disdain. "She isn't worth the air you'll have to breathe to say it. Come on. Let's go catch Chris."

Since this would be a trying task in itself, the girls headed out the door. And Myra Blewett was left feeling……rather deflated, considering the fact that she had just ruined Chris Ford's day.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Green Gables-Half an hour later

Mrs. Guest had come over for tea, guessing that it was probably the only way she would be able to collect her daughter from Green Gables. Besides, she needed a good, long visit with Rilla Ford. The Guest family had long passed the stage of 'formal company' and so the doctor's wife was taking tea in the cozy Green Gables kitchen with Leslie, Rilla, and Anne when they heard the front door slam open and shut.

"Goodness, who could that be?" Anne wondered aloud, irritation in her voice that anyone could treat the door of Green Gables in such a manner.

She didn't have to wonder for long. Chris stood on the threshold of the kitchen just a few seconds after the words were spoken. Her face was flushed, for she had run all the way from Avonlea, and her hair was rather wild, falling about her shoulders in a disarray of dark curls. Her eyes swept the room quickly and fastened on Leslie.

"Tell me it's not true," she said, her voice low and soft.

Leslie knew immediately what her sister was talking about and her eyes flew to her grandmother, pleading for help. But Anne did not know what to say. Chris saw the look and it was all the answer she needed. With a final glare at Leslie, she left the kitchen and made her way to the room that they shared. All four women expected to hear a slammed door, but they only heard a soft click as the door was closed behind Chris.

No one said anything for a moment, although Mrs. Guest fixed Leslie with a sympathetic glance. Rilla stood up to tend to the tea kettle that had begun to whistle and Anne disappeared into the pantry, presumably to fetch a bottle of raspberry cordial that had been promised to Mrs. Guest. But it was really to compose her features. It is to her credit, however, that she remembered to bring the raspberry cordial back with her, after first double-checking the contents of the bottle.

Not five minutes after Chris' dramatic entry, Emily stumbled into the kitchen. She looked a fright as well, breathing heavily, her red curls tumbling all around her face. The other girls were not far behind her. As Rilla fetched the girls some water, Emily told the whole story to all of them.

"Well, it doesn't surprise me that Myra Blewett would do such a thing," Rilla Ford said when Emily was finished. "She's always been mean-spirited."

"More than Josie ever was, I would venture to say," Anne agreed. She couldn't fathom Josie trying to turn family against each other.

"Why weren't we told about this?" Lorelei wanted to know, looking at Cecily with a rather accusing gaze.

"That was my doing, Lorelei. Don't blame her," Leslie spoke for the first time. "I wanted to be the one to tell Chris. To break it to her gently. I suppose I bungled that. I asked Cecily and Emily to keep quiet. They weren't supposed to say anything. Not even to you or Sylvia."

"And I asked your mother and Mrs. Guest to not mention it," Rilla put in.

Lorelei fell silent. She was filled with questions, but could see that now was not the time to ask them. Sylvia also put aside her own inquiries and turned to her mother.

"Is Chris up in her room? Should we go see her?"

"I don't think that's a wise idea, Sylvia. You and I are going back to Wyndhaven right now. Tomorrow, perhaps, there will be time for a talk with Chris. But I believe there is someone else she needs to speak with at the moment."

Before she left with Sylvia, Mrs. Guest gave Leslie a quick hug and a soft smile. Anne dispatched Emily, Lorelei, and Cecily to their own homes without any argument at all from those three girls. They had learned at an early age that it simply didn't pay to argue with that lady.

Once they had gone, Leslie went to the stairs and stood on the bottom step, staring up at the second floor. She knew she needed to speak with Chris, but she dreaded it. Obviously, she had put off the conversation for too long. Now everything was just a hopeless mess. She doubted if she could ever set it right again. Turning, she started to go back towards the kitchen……..and was stopped by the gaze of two piercing grey eyes.

They weren't condemning, those eyes. Not at all. But their expression spoke volumes without their owner having to say a word. And Leslie turned back around again, feeling rather like a spinning top, and slowly ascended the steps to the room she shared with Chris. Anne watched her go, a gentle smile on her face. She said a silent prayer in her heart before returning to the kitchen to both reassure Rilla and help her with the supper. Family crisis or no family crisis, Ken and Matthew would be coming home from the newspaper office soon and they would be hungry.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

To Leslie's surprise, the doorknob turned quite easily when she tried it. She had been half-hoping it would be locked. Then she could have put this conversation off a little bit longer.

Chris was sitting in the window seat when Leslie went in. That was no surprise. The window faced the Haunted Wood, which was Chris's second favorite place in Avonlea. She didn't turn when Leslie came in. She didn't speak, either. Leslie walked over and sat on her own bed, facing Chris, and let the silence hang in the room.

'Let Chris be the first to speak,' she thought. 'That will be best.'

It was a full ten minutes, however, before Chris felt the inclination to speak. And poor Leslie nearly jumped out of her skin when she did, although Chris spoke quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were being shipped overseas?"

At first, Leslie couldn't find the words to answer. She discovered that, during these past ten minutes, she had fully lost all hope of her sister speaking at all. Finally, she found her voice.

"I wanted to tell you, Chris. I-No, I can't say that. I didn't want to tell you. And that's why I didn't say anything. I had already had to break so much bad news to you. You were so happy to be here and I didn't want to be responsible for spoiling your good time. And I'm not being 'shipped overseas'. It isn't as if I'm going to see front-line combat. I'm going to London."

Chris lapsed into silence for a few more moments. Then…..

"Did you honestly think I couldn't take news like this? Really, Leslie. We Fords and Blythes are made of sterner stuff than that. It hurts me more to know that all of Avonlea knew about this when I didn't. That Myra Blewett knew about it! Myra Blewett! Oh, Leslie! To think that she would know more about my own sister than I would! It's just………It hurts unbearably to think that you would keep secrets from me. Especially a secret like this, when we've gotten so close these past few years. It wasn't fair of you, Leslie."

"No, I suppose it wasn't. But I thought I was doing it for your own good. I asked everyone to keep quiet. All our family. Our friends. I wanted to be the one to tell you and I was searching for the right time. I can't tell you how many times it was on the tip of my tongue. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I know everyone's been worried about all our boys. Then there was the business with Robert and John. And I know you're concerned about Alex being sent overseas."

Chris stiffened slightly. Leslie had hit her mark there. Alex was stationed, for the moment, at Camp Niagara in Ontario. He had reassured her in his last letter that he had not even heard so much as a whisper of a transfer. But Chris still worried.

"I didn't want to add to your concern," Leslie continued. "It was silly of me, I know. You're grown. You've handled everything else beautifully. But you're still my little sister, Chris. And I wanted to protect you, I suppose."

And there it was. Chris couldn't really blame Leslie for wanting to protect her. Not when she herself was guilty of feeling the same way towards her siblings and her friends. But, oh how it hurt! She did not relish the thought of Leslie being so far away. London! The fact that it had been kept from her, and that so many other people had known about it before her, was what made this whole thing so painful.

Now that the initial shock was over, however, Chris was slowly coming to realize that she might have done the same thing in Leslie's shoes. She glanced over at Leslie, who was not looking at her, but at the floor. Leslie was biting her lip, most likely to keep from crying. A wave of remorse washed over Chris and she got up from the window seat, walked over to her sister, and knelt down on the floor in front of her.

"Did I overreact, Leslie?" she asked.

Leslie regarded her with surprise. That wasn't a question she expected.

"No, I don't think so," she finally replied. "You were taken by surprise, that's all."

"I don't want you to go," Chris said frankly. "Just as I didn't want Walter or Will or any of the others to go. But I realize you have no choice."

Leslie hesitated, not sure whether or not she should tell Chris the other part of her news. She finally decided she should. It would do no good to hide things from Chris anymore.

"I requested to go over there, Chris. And you're the only one who knows that besides Grandmother. Everyone else thinks it's part of my orders."

Chris stared at her sister for a moment, stunned by what she had just heard. This day was rapidly deteriorating. She felt her temper rising and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. Really, she had to get control of her emotions. It would do no good to yell at Leslie.

"Why did you request this, Leslie?" she inquired, when she felt calm enough.

Leslie stood and began to pace the room, trying to find the words to answer. She thought Chris would understand, once she had explained things to her. It was just a matter of wording it correctly.

"You know Joseph is injured," she began. Chris nodded. "You also know it wasn't life-threatening. But it was enough to take him off the front lines. Stubborn man that he is, he refuses to come home. He insists that he can still be of some use. And his commanding officer agreed with him. I probably told you about this."

Again Chris nodded. She remembered the phone conversation she'd had with Leslie after her sister received a letter from Joseph, telling her that he wasn't coming home. His leg was too messed up for him to return to the front lines, but he thought he had found a position somewhere in England. An office position of sorts, although Leslie said he hadn't been able to go into detail.

"The position he has taken is in London. And, apparently, not too far from where RCAF Overseas Headquarters is. That's where I'll be going."

"You did this to be with Joseph," Chris said quietly.

"That's a large part of it, yes. I won't deny it. I miss him terribly, Chris. And I worry about him. I'm not certain that he will take care of himself properly. I haven't deluded myself into thinking that I'll be able to spend a large amount of time with him. I'll have my duties and he'll have his. But I'll be close to him. I'll be able to go to him if he needs me. And that's a nice thought to have."

Chris couldn't deny that it was a nice thought. For a moment, she almost envied her sister. She was still upset with Leslie. There was no arguing that point. But she could understand Leslie's motives for requesting the position in London. And for keeping it from her since she got home from McGill. Besides, they didn't really have time for petty arguments right now. Being together was much more important.

"I do understand your reasoning, Leslie. I might've done the same thing, in your position," Chris paused as she regarded her sister. So many changes in these past few years! They had both grown so close. What would she do once she wasn't able to pick up the phone and call Leslie for advice……or even just to chat? How could she get along with out her? For a split second, the thought of more bombings in England crossed her mind, but Chris shoved it aside. She wouldn't think like that. 'Positive thoughts, Christine Anne,' she admonished herself.

"I can't say that I'm not upset with you," she continued. She bit back a smile at the panicked look that crossed Leslie's features. "But we have no time for that sort of thing. You only have a couple of more weeks here. And I don't want to spend that time arguing. I'm sorry I acted the way I did."

"And I'm sorry I kept it all from you," Leslie replied, smiling slightly. "Even more sorry that you had to hear it from Myra Blewett."

Chris's eyes darkened at the mention of that name, but she quickly brushed that emotion aside. She didn't want to dwell on anymore unpleasant thoughts.

"Forget Myra," she told her sister in an off-handed tone. "She isn't worth our time or energy. Are you hungry? I think I hear Father and Matthew coming in. And where is Grandfather?"

"I'm not hungry. And Grandfather left earlier for Shrewsbury. He'll be back tomorrow, though. He needed to speak with Aunt Nan about something. Nothing serious."

"Well, I'm not hungry. If you're not hungry, what do you say to a stroll through our favorite haunts? We haven't really had a chance to spend much time alone together since I got home."

Leslie smiled brilliantly at this suggestion and both girls headed downstairs.

"We're going for a walk, Mother," Chris called as they neared the front door.

Rilla appeared, a small frown on her face as she realized that her daughters did not intend to eat supper with the family. Anne was right behind her.

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked, unable to keep a note of concern out of her voice.

"I don't have much of an appetite right now, Mother," Chris answered. "And Leslie said she wasn't hungry. We'd much rather just go for a walk, if that's alright with you. We'll be back after while. Perhaps we'll have some sandwiches if we have an appetite by then."

Rilla started to argue, but some instinct stopped her. Perhaps it was the sight of her two daughters, standing side by side. Perhaps it was the realization that they needed this time alone together. Whatever it was, she finally relented.

"Very well. Try not to stay out after dark."

"Yes, Mother," the two young women replied in unison. They left the house and Rilla watched them go. Anne put a hand on her shoulder.

"That was wise of you, my Rilla," she said softly.

"I hope the next few days bring them the comfort they need before Leslie leaves," Rilla sighed. "I am worried about her, Mother."

"That's a mother's lot in life, Rilla," Anne replied with a smile. "But I'm worried about her, too. You have to remember she knows what she's doing. She's a grown woman now. And so is Chris."

Rilla shook her head.

"Not in my mind. They're still as small as little Brian and Persis in my mind."

"Just as you are in mine. Come along, Rilla. The supper is waiting. And your husband will be wanting to know all about today."

Rilla groaned playfully as her mother pushed her gently back towards the kitchen. Anne paused and glanced out the window as she passed by it, her gaze settling on Chris and Leslie.

"Lord, let these next few days be peaceful for them," she breathed softly. "They deserve that at least."

She watched them disappear farther down the lane for a short while, saying even more of a prayer in her mind. They could all use prayers at this time. She was glad for the strength of her granddaughters, proud of Leslie for volunteering to do what she was going to do. But they were all human. They could all use help.

Anne sighed and continued on her way into the kitchen, where she endeavored to take her mind off her troubles by paying special attention to the antics of little Persis, who seemed to take after her namesake where personalities were concerned. The whole unpleasant business involving Myra Blewett was pushed to the back of everyone's mind. As Chris and Leslie took their walk, they stealthily avoided the subject. But there was one person who had not forgotten it. And Emily Wright was determined that Myra would pay dearly for hurting her cousin so dreadfully.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it. Now that this dreadful block is gone, I can get to work on the chapter that's been tormenting me for months. Yay! Please review and I'll adore you forever. I'll probably adore you anyway, but I love reviews. Thanks to all of you again for being so patient! 


	40. update

To all of you dearest readers:

I have been horribly, horribly remiss in regards to this story. The simple truth of the matter is this. I am, in every way possible, stuck. I haven't been able to write more than a page of the next chapter for the past two years. Indeed, I haven't been able to write more than a page of ANY chapter for ANY story for over a year now. Why this has happened, I don't know. I've attempted to break the writer's block with one-shots (which never get finished, either) and even by working on my own original story (which has also never developed beyond two pages).

It has all been to no avail. I feel it unfair to force the ideas from my pen (or keyboard, as the case may be). Unfair to myself and to the people who read my story so faithfully. All of you deserve better than a less than average chapter.

Please understand I'm working on it in every way I know how. I've never had to deal with any writer's block like this before. I've been stumped on specific stories, but never on writing itself. I find I have written myself into a corner with the ending of the last chapter and must frankly tell you that I have no idea what Emily is going to do for revenge. She, like the rest of Anne's family, has clammed up and is refusing to speak to me.

I'm attempting to get past this roadblock by focusing on Leslie and Joseph in the next chapter. If any of you have ideas as to what you'd like to see in the next chapter, please contact me. Don't tell me in a review, but you can pm me or leave a message on my MySpace page, which is my homepage on my profile.

Thank you ever so much for all your patience and your encouraging words.

Tierney Beckett/Melanie


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